Friday was the first of a monthly cooking class I am taking with the goal of learning more about nutrition, the many myths out there, discovering new foods and generally enjoy being on the other side of the class for a change.  The classes are run by Deborah Murtagh from Healthy Kitchen, www.healthykitchen.co.nz

Deborah has over a decade of clinical experience in natural and complementary medicine before establishing her successful cook school, Healthy Kitchen in Christchurch.  After two earthquakes the family decide to move to Cambridge where Deborah is re establishing her school.  Deborah says “food has evolved at an incredible speed over the past 100 years; sadly the human body hasn’t had time to evolve with it.  Processed foods are at the core of the food revolution and the effect on human health is catastrophic!”  Currently writing a book, The Genius Diet, Deborah wants to teach people about the connection their food has to their health, both mental and physical.  Her motto is ‘You Are What You Eat, Think and Feel’

I have met Deborah several times and each time I leave knowing I should spend more time learning about the physiological effects food has on the body, but let’s face it who has time?  So when the opportunity came up to take Deborah’s course I jumped at it!  Fridays class was a relaxed introduction into Deborah’s food philosophy, mainly based around Weston A Price’s research and the teaching of people such as Sally Fallon (author of “Nourishing Traditions”) as well as Deborah’s own extensive research.  I will share more of these philosophies, the research and science as the course goes on but it’s a lot of information to take in all at once and I am still digesting much of what we learnt.

We spent some time talking about the research and science behind eating a diet which is contrary to the teachings of mainstream nutrition (based around the food pyramid) and then we got cooking.  A green smoothie was first up.  A combination of fruits and green leafy vegetables were blended with water to create this vibrant green drink.  But the taste was surprisingly good as the taste of the fruit come through, yet you are getting all the goodness of those raw green vegetables.

Deborah is big on fermenting and in future classes we will learn to make keffir but this week it was making our own sourdough starter.  This is also this month homework so I will keep you posted on my results.  With homemade bread in the oven we learn to make some beautiful raw crackers packed full of vegetables and other goodies.  I see a dehydrator appearing on my birthday list.  Then it’s a herby paste to go with the crackers before we sit down to enjoy the fruits of our labour.

After lunch it’s a simple apple juice jelly made with agar, which by the way set on the bench without any refrigeration!  No sugar, no gelatine, just fruit juice and agar and you have a wonderful dessert.  Finally we got our hands dirty again making raw chocolate energy balls, the recipe for which is in the summer edition of Nourish Waikato.

I left the day enthused.  There were many easy steps, recipes and ideas I could easily include in my everyday diet.  And a quick trip around the supermarket showed me many of the ingredients we talked about were all readily available.

For more information on Deborah’s courses go to www.healthykitchen.co.nz

Nourish in conjuction with Healthy Kitchen are bringing Sally Fallon to Hamilton on the 4th of April.  Tickets will be available through Ticketek and will be available from next week.

Corn fritters are always popular, be it for brunch or a light dinner.  You can make them all year round with tinned or frozen corn but they are especially nice made with fresh corn!

2& ½ cups of corn kernels
½ a red onion
1 cup self raising flour
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Fresh coriander and parsley
Oil

Place ½ the corn, onion & herbs in the food processor and blitz.
Add egg, flour and seasoning and whiz till combined.  Tip into a bowl and mix in remaining corn.  Heat oil in a pan and cook fritters in batches over a med heat.
Serve with fresh tomato, avocade and bacon.  Or make baby ones as canapes and serve cold with an avocado salsa.

Clafoutis is a classic French dessert often made with cherries but works just as well with other fruit from berries to apricots, plums and so on.  For some reason, I expect the weird summer weather we have had, there has been a glut of yummy big cherries on the market at a great price so I used cherries.
The most time consuming part of this recipe is stoning the cherries, but as I am in paitent I simply chopped them in half and removed the pit.  You can buy cherry pitters or use an olive pitter to this but I have neither.

A clafoutis is basically a fancy baked pancake, so very simple to do and it also makes for a stunning brunch dish.

500g fresh cherries, stoned
1 c flour
3 eggs
1/3 c sugar + an extra tblspn
tspn vanilla extract
2/3 c milk ( or for a richer version 1/3 c milk, 1/3 c cream)
Zest of a lemon
70g butter, melted

Mix the stoned cherries with a tblspn of sugar and allow to sit for 2 hours.
Pre heat your oven to 180C
Brush your baking dish with a little of the melted butter and then sprinkle with a litttle sugar.  I used 6 (aprox 1 cup capacity) indivdual dishes but you can use one large one.  Look for a dish that is around 5 cm deep and 20cm in diameter.
In a mixing bowl stir together the flour and sugar.  Make a well in the middle and add the eggs and mix till you have a smooth consistency.  Now slowly whisk in the melted butter, milk, vanilla and lemon zest.

Layer your cherries on the bottom of you baking dish and pour over the batter, about 3/4 of the way up.  Bake for 30-35 minutes (or a little bit leass if making individual ones).  You can tell when it is cooked as a knife inserted in the middle will come out cleanly.
Serve warm dusted with icing sugar.

The word tape comes from the Spanish verb tapar which means to cover.  There is some debate on how tapas came about, some believe it started in Andalucía when a piece of ham, cheese or bread was places over patrons sherry (the drink of the day) to prevent fruit flies.  Some will tell you the story of some wily tavern owners in the sixteenth century who discovered strong cheeses disguised, or “covered” the taste of bad wine and so started serving free cheese to patrons in order to pass of their cheap wine.  Then there is the story of King Alfonso X, who was the 13th century version of ALAC and decreed that no inn in Spain was to serve wine unless accompanied by a bite of food.

Regardless of how the tradition started the idea of small dishes to graze on while you enjoy a drink or two is a wonderful idea and a fabulous fuss free way to entertain.  Forget slaving in the kitchen and missing all the fun of the party only to have to do endless dishes afterwards!  Instead create a selection of beautiful small dishes and allow your guests to simply graze.  From a simple bowl of olives to stuffed baby capsicums think of foods you can prepare ahead of time, dishes that are just as tasty hot, warm or cold and can be eaten standing up with little more than a fork.

Chorizo, squid and chick pea salad (gluten free)

1 tin chick peas
1 chorizo
1 fresh squid tube
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
¼ c olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
large handful of Italian parsley
1 red capsicum

Char grill the capsicum by placing it directly on a hot grill, turn until all the skin is black and blistered.  Place in a bowl and cover with cling film.  When cool the skin should easily peel off leaving you with a beautiful smoky flavoured capsicum.  Slice finely and set aside.

Rinse the chick peas and place in a bowl.  Pat dry the squid and slice thinly along with the chorizo.  Heat a little of the oil in a pan and fry the chorizo for 1 minute then add the squid and fry for another 30 seconds.  Transfer the chorizo and squid along with the juices to the bowl of chick peas.  Add the lemon zest, juice, remaining olive oil and garlic along with the red capsicum and chopped parsley.  Stir well and serve on a bed of rocket.

Zucchini fritters (gluten free, vegetarian)

3 c grated zucchini (aprox 2 med zucchini)
½ red onion, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
¾ c chick pea flour
½ tsp ground cumin
1/3 c feta
2 Tblspns chopped mint
½ tspn baking powder
Vegetable oil

Sprinkle the grated zucchini with ½ teaspoon of salt and allow to sit for ½ an hour before squeezing all the liquid out.  Place the drained zucchini in a bowl along with the remaining ingredients.  Stir well and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a cm of oil in a pan and then carefully drop in spoonfuls of the batter.  After a minute turn the fritters and cook until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining mixture.

TIP.  Cook one small fritter and test it for seasoning before cooking the rest.

Ricotta stuffed baby capsicums (vegetarian)

½ onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Tblspn oil
250g ricotta
1 egg
½ cup bread crumbs
¼ c grated Parmesan
1 large handful of basil
salt & pepper
Baby capsicums

Sweat of the onions and garlic in the oil.  When the onions are translucent put in a bowl along with the ricotta, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan and basil.  Season with salt and pepper and mix well.  Cut the peppers in half, cut out any seeds and membranes and then carefully stuff with the ricotta mix.  Bake in an 180C oven for 30 minutes.

Lamb Cutlets

8x Lamb cutlets
1 garlic clove crushed
1 Tblspns fresh oregano, chopped
zest of half a lemon
2 Tblspns of olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix the garlic, olive oil, lemon zest and oregano together and then rub into the lamb.  Allow to sit at room temp for an hour or in the fridge for 4 or 5 hours.  To cook, heat your grill and season the lamb with salt and pepper.  Sear the meat for 2-3 minutes on each side, turning only once.

I served the fritters and lamb cutlets with Tzatziki which is simply Greek yoghurt mixed with grated cucumber and chopped mint.

White Sangria

1 bottle white wine
¼ c caster sugar
½ c vodka
Summer fruit (berries, peaches, nectarines…)
½ orange
fresh mint

In a large jug stir the sugar and wine together until the sugar dissolves.  Add in the sliced fruit, mint and vodka and allow to steep at room temperature for 2 hours.
Serve with lots of ice and if you like a little soda water.

These are great on the BBQ or fried in a pan served on steamed rice with some stir fried vegetables.  The mince mixture also makes great burger patties.
With my lemongrass going wild in my garden I used lemongrass stalks instead of skewers which make for very impressive nibbles.

300g pork mince
1 egg
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 Tblspn of grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
handful of fresh corriander, chopped
1 Tblspn lemongrass, finely chopped
1 Tblspn sweet chilli sauce
1 Tblspn soy sauce
1 Tblspn fish sauce
1 tspn sesame oil
juice of a lime
salt & pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Cook a teaspoon full and check for seasoning before wrapping a round skewers.  Grill or fry on a medium heat.  Try not to over crowd th epan or grill and resist the urge to turn the kebabs too often.

I always make plenty of this salad as it makes for a great lunch the next day.  The great thing too about this dish is that it is low in fat and gluten free.  (Just make  sure the stock you use is gluten free!  There is no reason why they shouldn’t be because if you were to make a stock you wouldn’t add and gluten but for some reason some big name stock contain gluten)

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 litre chicken stock
150g Rice noodles (Vermicelli)
1cm knob of root ginger
Large handful of fresh corriander and mint
1/4 cabbage, finely sliced
2 carrots, julienned
1 capsicum, julienned

1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tblspn fish sauce
2 Tblspns sweet chilli sauce
1 Tblspn peanut oil
30g grated palm sugar (or 2 Tblspns brown sugar)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts

In a pot bring the stock to a simmer along with the chopped ginger root, corriander stalks and if you like things hot a chilli.  Add the chicken breast and simmer until cooked (10-15 minutes)  Remove the chicken and allow to cool before shredding.  Also remove the ginger, corriander and chilli from the stock before putting in the rice noodles.  Stir the noodles around to ensure they all are well covered by the stock.  After 2 minutes drain the noodles, saving 1/4 cup of the stock for your dressing.  Using some scissors chop the noodles into more manageable pieces and then place in a large bowl and allow to cool.
Mean while chop all the vegetables and herbs and make the dressing.

For the dressing mix together 1/4c of the stock with the lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, peanut oil and sweet chilli.  Add the shredded chicken, chopped vegetables, herbs and peanuts to the noodles then pour over the dressing.
Serve piled up on a large platter garnished with some more corriander.

You can whip this beautiful summer dessert up in no time!  And because it uses pre made (or bought if you are like me) lemon curd you can enjoy it anytime of year.

250g Packet of gingernuts (crushed)
100g melted butter
300mls cream
1 cup lemon curd – for a twist I used Cuisinescenes delicious lemon and passionfruit curd
Fresh berries (optional)

In a bowl mix your biscuit crumbs with the melted butter, then press firmly into a greased tart tin.  Chill in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Whip your cream to soft peaks and then carefully fold in the curd.  Pour the cream mixture into the tart tin and refridgerate for another 30 minutes before carefully removing from the tin to serve.  A loose bottom tin makes this a lot easier!
For some added interest add some berries (I think blueberries or strawberries are perfect) to the base of the tart before pouring over the cream mixture.

Avocados have a high fat content which is why they make great oil.  What’s really in their favour is this fat is monosaturated and they have no cholesterol.  There are many other health benefits to eating avocados and it was when I was spreading a ripe avocado on toast instead of butter that I got the idea, could I use it in baking instead of butter?

After a little bit of research I discovered you can make a simple avocado and chocolate mousse by pureeing a couple of avocados with a about 1/4 c  agave syrup or honey and 1/4 c cocoa powder.  The added benefit of this recipe is it was also vegan, but I think it could be improved slightly and want to work on it a bit, so wathch this space.

So next it was a brownie.  Imagine making a chocolate brownie that wasn’t full of butter!  What I came up with is a beautiful moist chocolate brownie which was also vegan.  Now not being a vegan myself and use to brownies made with real chocolate, eggs and butter I can’t say this version will replace my usual brownie recipe, although it would be a lot better for me!  For me the avocado taste was a little too strong, but I was impressed by the look and texture and would love to know what a vegan thought.  So I am off to find a vegan in the meantime here is the recipe if you want to give it a go.

2 c flour
1&1/2 c sugar
3/4 c cocoa
1 tspn baking powder
1 c mashed avocado (aprox. 2 avocados)
1&1/4 c soy milk
1 tspn vanilla extract
2 Tblspns vegetable oil
In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together.  In a separate bowl beat the mashed avocado, soy milk, vanilla and oil together before combining with the dry ingredients.  Pour into a greased baking dish and bake at 180 degreeC for 25-30 minutes.

Everybody loves blueberry muffins!  Packed full of antioxidants blueberries are great for you and right now the season is in full swing so it’s a great time to enjoy them fresh.  My father has two blueberry bushes and I couldn’t resist picking several handfuls to take home.  They will be great with yoghurt in the morning, in my smoothie and I might even try a blueberry sorbet.  But in the mean time here is my favourite simple blueberry muffin recipe.

3 cups self raising flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
125g butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries

In a bowl mix the dry ingredients together.  In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla together before adding to the dry ingredients along with the melted butter.  Mix carefully and when nearly combined add the blueberries.  Try not to over mix.
Spoon into greased muffin tins and sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar (I used 2 Tblspn sugar to 1/2 tspn cinnamon).  Bake in a 200 degreeC oven for 12-15 minutes.

A great tip on getting muffins out of the tin is to let them cool for 5 minutes.  When the muffins are still warm but the tin is cool enough for you to pick up tap the tine on each side on the bench and the muffins should fall cleanly out.

It’s January and that’s plum season and this tart is great for any type of plum.  Personally I like the rich ruby red fleshed Black Dorris but you have to wait a little longer in the season for these beauties.  Other stone fruit like apricots work well too and dare I say it, tinned fruit will also be just as good (just make sure it’s NZ fruit).

Sweet pastry
125g soft butter
½ c sugar
1 egg
1&1/2 c flour
½ tsp vanilla paste
In your food processor cream the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla.  Add in flour and whizz till a ball forms.  Tip pastry out onto a floured surface knead for 5 minutes.  If you have made pastry before this will sound counter intuitive but this is the great thing about this pastry, it like to be handled.  Wrap in glad wrap and chill for at least an hour.

125g butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tspn vanilla paste
2 eggs
1 cup ground almonds
1/2 tspn almond essence
1/4 cup flour
Plums, cut in half and stones removed

Pre heat your oven to 190C.
Roll out the pastry (aprox 4mm thick) and line your tart case.  Allow to rest in the fridge while you make the filling.
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla in a food processor until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and mix well before adding the flour, almonds, and almond essence.  Process until just mixed.  Spread the almond mixture into the pastry lined tart shell and then arrange the plums on top.  Bake for 45-55 minutes.