Summer Coleslaw

I love coleslaw, and it's one of those amazing salads that is so simple to make in winter and have something fresh on the table.

However, this year I planted mini-cabbages, which are perfect for summer. They make these gorgeous tear drop shaped vegetables and don't take up much room in the garden.



You will need:
1/2 mini-cabbage head
1 carrot
1/2 cup grated cheese
Handful of parsley
Tablespoon of mayonnaise

1. Rinse the cabbage well, then cut into slices about 3mm thick.

2. Peel and grate the carrot.

3. Chop the parsley finely

4. Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl.

5. Crack pepper and sea salt on top and mix in the mayonnaise well.

Chill until ready to serve. I love the crunchiness of the salad with a bbq on a hot day, or on top of roasted potatoes with chilli beans.


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Tomato and Basil Soup

I've been on a quest to make great soups this winter, and I am literally on a roll.
This tomato and basil soup can be made quickly, and it is super tasty, and completely meat-free.

This recipe yields 4 hearty servings.



Ingredients
6 tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 red onion
Handful basil
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Vegetable stock cube
2 cups water
150ml cream
Parmesan cheese

1. Wash tomatoes, cut in half, and line a roasting dish, with the cut sides up. Cut the onion in quarter and give the garlic a quick crush with the back of the knife. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped basil leaves.

Roast at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes.


2. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little... Or you will scold your fingers!
Peel the skin off of each tomato, discarding the skin, and throw everything else; juice, oil, onions etc, in a soup pot on a low heat.




3. Add the stock cube and a 2 cups of water. Heat until boiling. Add more basil. Blitz with a blender. Add cream. Stir until combined.



4. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and a couple of basil leaves. I like it with sour dough garlic rolls.



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Day 3: 5+ a Day Challenge

Well, I thought today would be chaos but, it was okay.



Breakfast
- Special K
- peaches

Lunch
- carrot
- pasta salad
- 2 kiwi fruit
- mandarin
- mixed nuts

Snacks
- yogurt
- cheese and crackers
- scroggin

Dinner
- 1 cold lasagne serving

7 servings! Yay!

More importantly, check out my lunch:


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Silver Beet and Potato Curry

Long term followers will be aware of the love the husband has for curry.... and meat.  The curry I don't mind.  Meat however.... I don't eat the stuff and I hate cooking it.  However, a great compromise has been various vegetarian curries.

At the moment, while I am super proud of my winter crops growing in the garden, it's certainly not like the cornicopia of goodness we had in autumn.  The silver beet is going great guns - and finding out that it's called chard elsewhere has made me very happy indeed.  I am not a fan of the stuff.  I need it hidden.  But i do like the colours.

So this is my Silver Beet and Spud Curry

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, ready to be smashed in the mortar and pestle
4 green chillies, chopped and ready to be smashed
Clump ginger, chopped finely ready to be smashed.  I don't worry about peeling it.

A small bunch of coriander

3 cardamom pods, bashed
2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 purple onion, diced

1 tomato, diced

4 potatoes, chopped into about 8 pieces each.

1/2 cup water

6 massive silver beet (chard) leaves.  Different colours are the greatest.

Juice of one small lemon

Salt and pepper

 

Chop everything.  Admire the colours. :D

Throw the garlic, ginger, cardamon, corriander and chillies into the mortar and pestle, and crush it.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil.  Throw in the dry spices (garam masala, turmeric, mustard seeds, cumin seeds) and the crushed ones with the onions.  Stir and cook until the onions are somewhat soft.  Add the tomato and stir again.  Stir in the potatoes and coloured silver beet stalks, and stir it all around.  Add the water at this point.  Cook on a low heat until the potatoes are ready.  The water will have just about all disappeared.

Throw in the silver beet leaves on the top and lemon juice.  Add salt and pepper.  Allow the leaves to wilt, then stir them all in.

It does look a little dogs breakfasty in the pot, but I was an idiot and forgot to photograph the actual plate. It does make the silver beet palatable.  And the husband likes it because its curry.  Go figure.

Wordless Wednesday: Pineapple in Samoa