Green Eggs & Ham Fritatta

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Yes the name of this recipe is a link to one of my favourite childhood books by Dr Suess. After eating this fritatta I’m sure you would say you like to eat green eggs & ham (or bacon) anywhere. This is a recipe that is just in my brain & you can use any vegetables or any cheese, perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner, great for lunch boxes too – See my live face book video of me making the dish here. I’d love to know any of your variations, I sometimes make a fritata with smoked salmon as well .

 

Green Eggs & Ham Fritatta
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Serves: 9 serves
 
Very easy to vary with different veggies 🙂
Ingredients
  • 1 large sweet potato roughly cubed (no need to peel)
  • 4 rashers of bacon
  • 1 red onion sliced
  • 5 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 100g spinach or silver beet leaves
  • 8 eggs
  • 250g cream or greek yoghurt
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 200g feta cheese
Instructions
  1. Turn the oven on to 180 degrees & in your baking dish roast your sweet potato, onion & bacon rashers, you don't want to over cook the bacon & the sweet potato should be just cooked through.
  2. Place garlic & parsley into the TM bowl & chop for 2 secs speed 7. Add the spinach & chop roughly for 3 secs speed 5.5 - you may need to use your spatula to help push all the leaves into the blades.
  3. Add the eggs, cream & salt & pepper & mix for 5 secs speed 4. Spread the mixture over the roasted sweet potato & bacon. Crumble over the feta cheese & return to the oven to bake for approx 20 mins or until golden.

Thermomix Fresh Pasta

What a fun morning we had at TAFE in the studio – I whipped up a batch of fresh pasta dough in the Thermomix (2 eggs & 200g flour, kneaded for 2 mins in the Thermomix) I got out the pasta machine & rolled it out. I wanted to try a different style of food photography – after getting my classmate to be a hand model – I decided I wanted my own “posh lady” hands in the shot instead & was very pleased with quite a few of the photos I got. After a bit of editing I will probably use this first shot for our end of year exhibition.

emotive food pasta

emotive food pasta side view

 

emotive food pasta overhead

emotive food pasta side view craig

emotive food pasta overhead 2

Arwen’s Roasted Cauliflower “Rice”

I created this recipe for a healthy eating workshop last year & came up with lots of interesting variations. here I have shown the recipe in the most simplest form, cauliflower, coconut oil & salt & pepper. However you can spice or jazz it up with any or all of the following ingredients: garlic, sweet potato, ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked chilli, black or white sesame seeds, coconut pulp leftover from making coconut milk or cream.

My other cauliflower “rice” recipe is steamed however I much prefer the roasted flavour.

Or eat it cold it makes for an awesome salad, add some almonds & fresh greens & other favourite salad ingredients.

Cauliflower

Start with a cauliflower & heat the oven to 200 degrees.

 

Cauliflower floretts

Break into florets keeping the inner stalk & the leaves.

 

Cauliflower leaves

You can cut the leaves & stalk on Speed 5 for 2 – 3 secs. (This is also when you could put in roughly chopped sweet potato & garlic (optional) too – if you are doing that variation) then place the chopped veggies on a baking tray.

 

Cauliflower rice

Place the florets into the bowl & chop on reverse for about 5 secs speed 4 – it will depend how big your florets are to start with.

 

Cauliflower rice on tray

Put some dollops of coconut oil onto the tray with all the cauliflower “rice” I also love sprinkling my favourite spices here as an option (a teaspoon or 2 each of ground cumin & coriander plus a tsp of smoked chilli) & some salt & pepper. Cook for about 20 mins stirring a couple of time to ensure even cooking.

 

Cauliflower rice in bowl

Then it’s ready to serve anywhere you would normally serve rice or couscous – or you can add some fresh salad ingredients to make it into a delicious salad for lunches.

 

Cauliflower rice & butter chicken

My favourite way to serve it is with butter chicken or another curry – YUM!!

 

Arwens' Roasted Cauliflower "Rice"
Author: 
Prep time: 
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Total time: 
Serves: 4 - 6 serves
 
you can make this simply as shown with just Cauliflower, coconut oil & salt & pepper or spice/jazz it up with any or all of the optional ingredients.
Ingredients
  • 1 cauliflower
  • Salt & peper to taste
  • 2-4 tbs coconut oil
  • 2 cloves garlic - optional
  • 1- 2 large sweet potatoes, roughly chopped, skin on - optional
  • 1-2 tbs your favourite spices to taste, I like, cumin, coriander, turmeric & a bit of smoked chilli,
  • Black sesame seeds, optional
  • 150g coconut pulp - optional, (leftovers from making coconut milk or cream)
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 200 degrees.
  2. Place garlic (if using) into the TM bowl & chop for 3 secs speed 7. Add the cauliflower stalk & leaves & sweet potato (if using) & chop for 2 -3 secs on speed 5. Scrape this out of the bowl & place onto a large baking tray.
  3. Place cauliflower pieces into the TM bowl & chop on reverse for about 5 secs speed 4. Then add to the baking tray. Add coconut oil, salt & pepper & any or all of the other optional ingredients - spices, black sesame seeds & coconut pulp (if using) bake on 200 degrees 20 mins, stirring a few times.
  4. Serve with your favourite curry or anywhere you would normally serve rice or couscous.

 

 

 

Arwen’s Thermomix Flu Fighter Chicken Soup

Arwen’s Thermo Pics | Hobart Thermomix Consultant | Flu Fighter Chicken Soup

Thermomix Flu Fighter Chicken Soup

Arwens Flu Fighter Chicken Soup
Author: 
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Serves: 6
 
You can add any veggies you like
Ingredients
  • Fresh corriander, leaves and roots
  • 1 lemon, zest & juice
  • 1tbs Fresh Turmeric, or 1 tsp dried ground turmeric
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 spring onions
  • 2tbs fresh ginger
  • 1 fresh red chilli
  • 2tb fresh parsley leaves
  • 2tbs coconut oil
  • 2 - 4 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
  • 1tbs TMX vege stock paste or chicken stock paste
  • 1 litre water or liquid chicken stock
  • 3tbs tamari , or soy sauce
  • 30g mirin, optional
  • 1tbs Miso Paste
  • 100g baby kale or spinach leaves
  • sea salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Place coriander leaves into TM bowl & chop for 3 secs/speed 7. Scrape out of bowl & set to one side.
  2. Place lemon zest, parsley, ginger, spring onions, fresh turmeric, chilli, coriander roots & garlic into the TM bowl chop for 20 secs/speed 10. Add the coconut oil & cook for 2 mins varoma speed 1. Add the stock paste into the bowl.
  3. Place the cubed chicken breast into the simmering basket inside the TM bowl. Cover the chicken with the water or stock.
  4. Set time 20 mins on 100 degrees speed 2.
  5. Ensure chicken is cooked through, & empty cooked chicken pieces into the broth into the TM bowl. Then add all remaining ingredients (except the kale or spinach) Don't forget the chopped coriander. Mix 10 secs reverse speed 1.
  6. Place baby kale & or spinach leaves into soup bowl & pour the hot broth over, making sure to portion out the chicken cubes into the bowls. serve with extra chilli slices & more lemon juice to taste.

 

 

Ellie’s Seafood Everyday Cookbook Photoshoot & Taste Testing

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Yes Ellie & I did it again – another sunrise breakfast at the Tessellated Pavement, but more on that later.

What do you say when your chef friend asks you to come & cook, wash up & taste the food for her 2 day photo shoot for her Seafood Everyday Cookbook – YES PLEASE! (And as a bonus I actually got paid to do it too!! I told Ellie I would have done it for free because it was so much fun, not to mention absolutely delicious!)

Day 1: Sunday 1st May – Job 1 purchase some ingredients on the way down to Ellie’s place at Eaglehawk Neck. When I woke up bright & early there was the most amazing sunrise & then as I started to drive into the city I heard thunder, saw lightning & then it bucketed down with rain! I was hoping the light would still be ok for Ellie’s photos today. I had nothing to fear as when I arrived at Ellie’s at about 9.30am she had already started some of the prep – her dining table was covered with lots of crockery, cloths & cutlery. She had a table by the window set up with backgrounds reflectors & her camera on the tripod. She had already cooked a crayfish for a couple of the recipes later on in the day. I was asked to make & prep some of the recipes so Elli’e could just finish them off before taking her photos for the book & then I got to taste them all!! I was so busy trying to cook, eat & wash up (she doesn’t have a dishwasher) that I didn’t get a chance to take many of my own photos – I did get some quick shots on my iPhone before I consumed them, so I could use them on our designated instagram breaks throughout the day, to make all my friends super jealous!!

On the first day we completed 19 recipes – which included about 6 different styles of oysters YUM! I was in my element because I could use Ellie’s 2 Thermomix for certain elements of the recipes too. I learnt so many tips and ideas form Ellie over the 2 days. You won’t believe the first dish I had to prep was risotto (or otherwise know as “Hot Wet Rice” & yes we showed the Katering show video of the two Kate’s making risotto to Ellie’s hubby at the end of day 2 & we all had a good laugh).

I used the Thermomix for fresh pasta dough  & left it to rest, Ellie had already made the bread dough in the Thermie before I arrived & then I learnt how to shape it for a cob loaf & 2 baguettes – we let it proof again & then baked in the oven. It’ s a bit of a blur but I will try to remember everything the best I can – octopus salad with peas & feta was amazing! I also had another salad with fish, risotto & feta balls with octopus, salmon & bacon pancakes – so good!! I made Ellie’s awesome potato & sweet potato surprise bake. (I’m drooling in my mouth as i remember tasting all these amazing dishes). A cauliflower puree was another element for one of the dishes that was easy to make in the Thermomix, as well as onion jam & beetroot relish – Ellie wanted a grated texture for the beetroot relish & took great delight in the fact I had to use a grater to hand grate the beetroot by hand instead of using the Thermomix. I also made pastry in the Thermomix too.

Dish of the day was hard to choose but I have to say the crayfish topped with Thermomix hollandaise was so special, plus it looked amazing too!

Guess what we had for dinner that night? Yes leftovers!! I couldn’t believe I could fit anything in!! After dinner we looked at the days photos & they looked amazing they even made me hungry looking at them!! I rolled out the pasta dough & cooked it ready for 4 different pasta dishes we would shoot tomorrow. I also made the steamed Dill & Feta Omelette with Smoked Salmon recipe we were taking to the Tessellated Pavement in the morning for Ellie to get the cover photo for her cookbook. We had learnt a lot form our previous breakfast at the Tessellated Pavement, to take a little with us as possible. So we packed 1 picnic basket of things & worked out how we were going to style it. We had an early night so we would be fresh in the morning for our big photo shoot.

Day 2: Monday 2nd May, after I woke up multiple times in the early morning it was time to officially wake up at 5.45am. We had a quick cuppa & grabbed our food, Tasmanian sparkling wine & picnic basket of props to arrive at the Tessellated Pavement about 6.30, after setting up in one spot we moved to another spot so we could get more of the pavement into the shot. We got so many amazing photos, Ellie was quick to post a picture to instagram of our sunrise breakfast picnic hoping she could get over 100 likes. Check out Ellie’s Instagram account to have a look. We had the whole place to ourselves & after a few adjustments we had it just right to shoot away for about 1/2 an hour or so. It was so exciting, relaxing & peaceful. I could not wipe the smile off my face.

After packing up, I had to drink the wine in the glasses, because we couldn’t waste such good quality Tasmanian sparkling wine & Ellie couldn’t drink because she had to have her A game on for the rest of the days big photo shoot. Anyway just as I was downing the last of the wine in the glass a lady & her dog walked past, she smiled asking if we were celebrating?! After all it was only just after 7am on a Monday morning!! Too funny!

A very quick look at the mornings photos on the computer & Ellie confirmed she had got her cover photo – It looks amazing!!

Anyway back to work, first things first, more breakfast!! We hadn’t eaten the omelette we took to the morning shoot & had brought it back home with us so take some more photos with the most amazing breakfast you will ever have – Salmon rashers with French toast & maple syrup, so amazing!!

After breakfast was photographed & then eaten it was time to get onto the 13 more recipes for the day including all the mussel recipes. We also had Ellie’s 2 youngest children helping us today so I added child entertainer to my list of jobs, it was so much fun & we all wore our special aprons too! Yes I had the job of making sure the bottle of sparkling wine didn’t get wasted & so I had a matching wine to my seafood tasting today until just after lunchtime 🙂 I got to make a spicy seafood laksa & we made another crayfish recipe too, oh & some yummy squid pasta, just to mention a few of the days recipes.

The cooking, eating, washing up & photos continued for the rest of the day & we finished about 4pm. We had multiple instagram checking breaks as we saw Ellie’s likes for her photo sky rocket through the day. Then we all went for a walk to the beach which was just what we needed after 2 epic days.

I stayed for dinner to help Ellie & her family eat some of the days delicious leftovers – we had another mini leftover degustation for dinner as the fridge was very full!! I don’t think I will ever need to eat again – well maybe not till breakfast anyway!

Oh wow, I thought I was in heaven, having a 2 day seafood degustation with a total of 34 dishes, I feel so grateful to have been given this amazing experience. I loved hearing stories Ellie shared with me about her restaurant days where she was the chef & owner at the Mussel Boys in Tarana, quite a few of the recipes from her restaurant are in the cookbook too.  Also Ellie’s Instagram photo from the morning was shared by “Australia” on Instagram on got over 46,000 likes!!

Even if I had not had this awesome experience I would still be rushing out to buy this cookbook the recipes are amazing & the photos look sensational – much better than these ones I took on my iPhone 🙂 The Seafood Everyday Cookbook will hopefully be available to purchase in Dec 2016. Congrats Ellie on an outstandingly awesome job! I love your work! (I think I am still in a food coma)

 

 

Three Japanese Inspire Cooking Class

We had a most enjoyable evening at Three Japanese restaurant with our INSPIRE aprons on.

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Owners Yasuko & Ken were so generous with their time & knowledge. This is the 3rd class we have run with them, but the first one in their new location in Battery Point. We first met Yasuko when she bought her first Thermomix, she loved it so much that she kept taking it back & forward to the restaurant & then decided they had to buy one another one for the restaurant.

Arwen, Yasuko & Charlie

I just love how passionate Three Japanese are about sourcing quality ingredients – even the crockery is sourced from their hometown Saga in Japan.

The story behind Three Japanese
Ken (Norikazu Hirai) and Yasuko (Yasuko Hayashi) first met at high school in Japan in 1997 whilst playing soccer.
After graduating from high school, Ken started working in a kitchen in Japan, where he learned a variety of cooking styles, he arrived in Hobart in 2012 on a working (surfing) holiday.
Yasuko moved to Osaka to go to university and her first visit to Hobart was through the exchange Uni program. She then took every opportunity to be in Hobart (8 visits!!) until she finally moved here in 2009.
Ken and Yasuko remained good friends throughout this time because of their love of great food!
In 2014, they realised their dream when they had an opportunity to start a restaurant together with Yasuko’s partner Yuya who had been a baker in Japan & then graduated from Drysdale, he was working as a chef at the Source Restaurant (MONA).
This is why they called the restaurant – ‘Three Japanese’.
They love fresh, real food, and use only real Japanese ingredients and freshest local veggies, fish and meat to make delicious authentic Japanese food.

We set the tables ready for our class, everyone was provided with a recipe booklet to take home & emailed a copy in an eBook format.

 

3J TM

Our Menu for the Evening

Japanese Green Tea on arrival

Chawanmushi – Savoury Custard (including the recipe for dashi stock)

The Three Japanese Tasting Plate: Miso Soup: Karaage Chicken: Rice: Tsukudani (preserved seaweed & bonito fish)

Sesame Pudding with Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream

Bonus recipe to take home: Umashi (plum sake) sorbet

(It was so much fun recipe testing: here are the photos of all the dishes I tested. After I showed Yasuko these pictures she told me I had the Japanese spice containers upside down!! I had studied Japanese in high school & didn’t notice the writing upside down!! I even used one the images in the recipe booklet!! When we told our guests & they thought it was very funny too !!)

Savoury custard LS High Res karaage chicken LS High Res Miso LS High Res Taste plate LS High Res MATCHA TEA LS High Res

Chawanmushi had been specially requested & put onto the menu for the night. It is not currently on the menu because they don’t have a commercial steamer at their new venue so we had to bring as many Thermomix as we could to the restaurant as we could to steam approx 20 savoury custards.

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We had 6 Thermomix in the kitchen & one set up in the dinning room to demonstrate through the class. It was well worth it though our guests loved tasting the dish & learning how to cook it. I showed our guests how to make the dashi stock using shaved dried bontio fish flakes & kombu (seaweed). Dashi is the base for a lot of Japanese dishes so it is important as usual to use the best quality ingredients you can get. You can buy powdered dashi but you won’t have that quality & depth of flavour.

IMG_63183J TASTE PLATE HIGH RESIMG_6350

We also used the dashi to make the traditional miso soup demonstrated by Yasuko. The kombu & bonito are not thrown out after making the dashi stock you can then use them with mirin to make tsukuduni a delicious preserve served with rice. Ken our chef came out & demonstrated the tsukudani to the class & showed us his awesome knives. We also showed guests how to make the karaage chicken it is one of the most popular dishes on the menu and very easy to prepare at home. The chicken is marinated for approx 1 hr & lightly coated in potato flour & deep fried. We also came up with some other ways of using the same marinade, either steaming, baking or grilling the chicken.

BLACK SESAME PUDDING MED RESTeapot - med quality

Then Charlie showed guests how to make the sesame pudding & we learned how to make the Japanese brown sugar sauce. The brown sugar is sourced from Okinawa in Japan. Yasuko also showed us how to make matcha green tea – this is the tea that is traditionally used at Japanese ceremonies.

Our guests left full of delicious food & inspiration to cook some of the dishes at home, they could even purchase some ingredients to take home with them. We are so grateful to have the the opportunity to work with Three Japanese again, their passion for their food is infectious.