Seared Tuna With Black Sesame And Pepper Crust And Avocado Cream

An absolute luxury in our house!

Simple and effective, the freshest Sashimi grade tuna seared like a steak with a wee drop of sauce to go with it.

This can be cooked on a barbecue hot plate too.

Serves 2.

Ingredients

250g piece of tuna

1 tablespoonful gluten free soy sauce or tamari sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

freshly ground pepper

DRESSING

1 small avocado

60mls sour cream

juice of 1/4  lime

salt and pepper

Method

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger in a shallow dish.

Place the tuna in the marinade and turn to cover the entire fillet.

Allow to marinade for 30 minutes and then turn and marinade again for 30 minutes.

While the tuna is marinading, process the avocado cream ingredients, check for seasoning and set aside.

Heat a frying pan over a very high heat.

Take the tuna out of the marinade and wipe with some kitchen paper to dry the entire fillet.

Pour the sesame seeds and pepper onto a plate, dip the tuna in the sesame mix until totally covered.

Lay the fillet in the very hot pan and sear to your liking, turn and repeat.

I allow the tuna to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving but you can serve it hot from the pan.

Sweetcorn and Black Bean Fritters With Hot And Cold Smoked Salmon

I love the combination of sweetcorn and black beans!

You can make these fritters any size you like but don’t go over 7-8cms as they get tricky to turn! Little mini ones are great for party food or nibbles night.

As lovely as they are with smoked fish they are also great topped with poached eggs or sautéed mushrooms for a vegetarian option.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

500g fresh sweetcorn, around 4 large cobs

400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed

50g chickpea flour (besan)

150g Parmesan, grated

2 tablespoons fresh dill

5 eggs

150mls sour cream

30g horseradish, from a jar

2 avocados, sliced

200g cold smoked salmon

300g hot smoked salmon

salt and pepper

oil to fry

Method

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, sweetcorn, beans, chickpea flour, Parmesan, dill, salt and pepper.

In another large bowl, whip the egg whites until forming stiff peaks.

Gently fold the egg whites into the sweetcorn mix.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat with enough oil to cover the base.

Spoon the fritter mix onto the pan, whatever size you want but not too big as they will be too hard to flip.

Using the side of the spoon gently even out the top and allow to cook until golden, flip and cook through.

Repeat with the remaining batter.

Combine the sour cream and horseradish in a small bowl.

Top each fritter with a little sour cream, avocado and some salmon.

Spicy Pork Pockets

These little pockets are a big hit with the boys.

As odd as it sounds adding the avocado to the cold filling, I think that it adds a lovely unexpected element and sneaks something green into the unsuspecting kids!

You can make mini versions of these as a party nibble and make ahead and freeze works well too, just omit the avocado if freezing.

Makes 16.

Ingredients

1kg minced pork

30-50mls olive oil

2 onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 chipotle chillies in adobe sauce, chopped

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano

200mls light sour cream

75 g fresh coriander, leaves and stalks chopped

2 large avocados, diced

375g fillo pastry

100-150g butter, melted

Method

In a large pan, heat the oil over a medium heat and cook the onions for around 10mins until soft.

Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

Turn the heat up to high and add the pork, chipotle chillies, ground coriander, smoked paprika, ground cumin, salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned.

Add the fresh oregano and sour cream to the pan, allow to simmer gently until most of the liquid has evaporated, set aside to cool.

Once the pork is cold, add the fresh coriander and avocado.

Preheat the oven to 180degrees Centigrade.

Take a sheet of pastry and brush it with butter, top with another sheet, brush again and add another layer. Cut the pastry sheets in half lengthwise.

Take a 16th of the meat mix and spoon onto the bottom short corner of the cut sheet. Fold into a triangle and then keep folding over, working your way up the pastry strip to the top.

Brush the edge with butter to seal.

Set aside on a baking sheet and repeat until you have 16 pockets.

Brush the tops with butter and bake for 25-30mins until golden.

Friday Night Nachos

 

As much as I love guacamole and salsa sometimes I can’t be bothered on a Friday night to make them to go with some corn chips.

This is a quick chilli meat fix with avocado, tomatoes and beans layered on top and all that you need to go with it is some sour cream, an easy and VERY popular meal for the boys!

I like to create a lower layer of beans and tomatoes so that even the fussiest boy will get some on his plate! Clean plates = pudding in our house!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil

1 onion, cut into thin wedges

3 cloves garlic, minced

500g minced pork

1-2 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 – 1 teaspoon chipotle chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper

10 tomatoes, deseeded and diced

2 avocados, cut into large chunks

425g tin black beans, drained

100g cheese, grated

300g corn chips, gluten free

Method

In a large frying pan, heat the oil and cook the onion until soft.

Add the garlic and cook for 2 mins.

Break the mince into the pan and add the seasoning too.

Cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until the meat is beginning to crisp a little.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and layer up the corn chips, beans, tomatoes, meat, avocado and cheese.

Bake for 10-15 mins until the cheese has melted.

 

The Ultimate Veggie Burger Stack

Not one for the feint hearted, possibly a time to use cutlery but the boys manage to eat these with their hands and they don’t even ask for tomato ketchup/sauce!

Feel free to vary the stack, omit and add as you like! For the gluten free option I just make myself a salad with the various components add the burger and then a little fresh lime juice to finish it off.

Serves 6.

Ingredieints

2x420g tins four bean mix

50g diced shallot or red onion

30g fresh coriander

1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped

zest of 1 lime

salt and pepper

20g rice flour

oil to fry in

2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 avocado, mashed

A handful of snow pea shoots

1 or 2 capsicums/peppers cut into rings

6 eggs

Method

In a food processor, process the beans, onion, coriander, chilli, salt and pepper to make a lumpy paste.

Heat a large pan over medium to high heat, add a little oil.

Pour the rice flour on to a plate.

Divide the bean mix into 6 balls, flatten into patties and move them around in the rice flour to cover.

Once the pan is hot, slide the patties in, cook on both sides until golden.

In the same pan if its big enough or another if necessary, add the capsicum rings, allow to warm through for 30secs and then crack an egg egg into each one. Allow to cook until the white is cooked but the yolk is still runny.

Stack your burger, mashed avocado, tomato slices, snow pea shoots, bean burger and finally the capsicum egg.

Naked Beef Burger stuffed with Brie and Jalapeño

I love a good burger and now that a bun or roll isn’t on the menu I feel I need to jazz my burgers up a little bit, enter the naked stuffed burger!

At this time of year we are lucky enough to have a large piece of Brie usually hiding in the fridge for quick and lazy meals, nothing beats gooey cheese and gluten free crackers with apple slices in my opinion!

When it’s getting towards the end of its shelf life this is a great way to use up a little bit of leftover cheese,  including the rind.

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil

2 large onions

700g minced beef

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to season

sliced jalapeños, around 4-6 slices per burger

6 slices of Brie

3 avocados, diced

6 tomatoes, deseeded and diced

1 lime cut into 6 wedges

Method

Heat a large frying pan with the oil in it.

Over a medium heat cook the onion in the pan until softened, set aside and don’t wash the pan as it will be reused.

In a large bowl combine the minced beef, mustard, salt and pepper. Roll into 12 balls.

Flatten 6 balls and place a slice of Brie and a few slices of jalapeño chilli on top.

Take the remaining balls and flatten until slightly larger than the previous balls, place them over the bases and squeeze around the edges to seal.

Heat the large frying pan again over a high heat and cook the burgers until slightly charred on both sides.

Return the onions to the pan to warm through.

Serve the burger, topped with onion, tomato and avocado with a slice of lime on the side.

Hot Smoked Trout Salad with Honey, Mustard and Dill Dressing

Asparagus is in season, hoorah!

This salad is all about asparagus and smoked trout, simple and delicious without too much effort!

I serve this with some crusty bread, it really doesn’t need anything else.

Serves 4 as a main.

Ingredients

1 whole smoked trout

2 bunches asparagus

200g mixed lettuce leaves

2 large tomatoes, sliced

2 avocados, sliced

3 eggs

a few dill fronds

Dressing

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dill fronds

Method

In a small bowl whisk the oil, vinegar, honey and mustard.

Remove the whisk and stir in the dill, a little salt and a good grinding of pepper.

Bring a small pan of water up to the boil.

Pop the eggs in, bring back to the boil and boil for 5mins.

Fill a jug with ice and water, after the eggs have boiled for 5 mins, put them into the iced water and set aside.

Take the trout and gently peel off the skin. Pull the meat off the bones, double check you haven’t picked any bones, just in case!

Preheat a large frying pan over a high heat.

On a large serving plate, lay the lettuce, top with the tomatoes and avocado slices.

Add the trout and drizzle a little dressing over.

Peel the eggs and cut into quarters, the yolks should still be a little runny, pop them around the salad.

Add the asparagus to the hot pan, gently shake to turn it for around 2mins. Remove from the heat, cut into thirds and top the salad with the asparagus.

Drizzle a little more dressing over the top and sprinkle a few dill fronds.

Lamb, Leek and Feta Burgers

Not your traditional burgers but absolutely delicious!

They are full of flavour so I don’t put any sauce in the buns or rolls, instead an avocado adds moisture with some sliced tomato on top.

The boys often add different vegetables to their rolls, capsicum and carrot sticks are popular!

For the gluten free option I serve the burger on avocado with a green salad and a tomato and onion salad.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

500g minced lamb

1 leek

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon ground cumin

10g chopped parsley

5g chopped dill

2 cloves garlic, crushed

100g feta

salt and pepper

Method

Prepare the leek, top and tail, cut into quarters lengthwise and then chop into 1cm pieces.

Wash and drain, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the lamb, yogurt, leek, cumin, parsley, dill, garlic and salt and pepper.

Us your hands to mix it all well.

Now crumble the feta into the bowl and again, using your hands, mix well.

Cover and set aside for 1-4hours in the fridge if you have time.

Heat the barbecue or frying pan to a medium to high heat.

Take the meat and form into burger shapes, depending on size you should have 4-6 patties.

Place on the barbecue or pan and cook for 5-8mins depending on thickness.

Turn the patties over and cook for 5-8mins again until cooked through.

Serve in buns with avocado and tomato.

Tempeh With Avocado Salsa

After years in Indonesia we all have a weakness for tempeh.

It can be hard to find gluten free tempeh but it is out there, sometimes I find it in the local health food shops, otherwise, on line is easy too.

In Indonesia the tempeh was coated in flour, flavoured with spring onion, garlic and ginger.

As I have this for breakfast I just use garlic, it’s quicker and as the tempeh cooks I make a quick salsa, great for breakfast but a lovely light lunch too.

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients

20mls vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

300g tempeh, sliced thinly

2 avocados, diced

1 lime juiced

Small bunch of coriander, chopped roughly

1 green chilli, deseeded and diced finely

Method

Heat a medium frying pan over a medium heat.

Add the oil.

Once hot add the garlic and tempeh slices.

Heat until underside is browned, flip over and move all the garlic to the side of the pan to let it cook more slowly.

Dice the avocado, add juice, coriander and chilli.

Place the salsa on the serving plate and add the cooked tempeh, top with the cooked garlic.

 

Breakfast Tacos

I love these!

Often, at the weekend, we have a cooked breakfast and they make a lovely change from bacon and eggs!

I use corn tortillas so these are gluten free and although they aren’t the healthiest breakfast they are a yummy treat.

Ingredients

10 corn tortillas, warmed in the microwave to soften them

400g Texan sausage, use the Texan Sausage Hamburger recipe from the blog

200mls sour cream

100g Cheddar cheese, grated

2 avocados, mashed

Jalapeños to taste

Method

Take small amounts of the sausage meat and roll into walnut sized balls.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium flame.

Add the meatballs and brown, turning regularly. This can take 10mins plus, the meat must be cooked completely through.

Once the meatballs are cooked add the sour cream and stir until all of the meatballs are covered.

Sprinkle the cheese over.

Once the cheese is melting fill the tortillas and add pickled jalapeños and mashed avocado to taste.