Twitter Updates

    follow me on Twitter

    Thursday, July 19, 2012

    A Taste Of Yellow - Tropical Fruit Crumble - Squash Soup With A Kick

    A friend, Barbara Harris of Winos and Foodies, unfortunately lost her long battle with Cancer in June.

    We met through a mutual friend Jacqui and discovered that we were both in love with Food.
    Cooking it, eating it, sharing it with Family and Friends.
    Unfortunately, Barbara moved away to warmer climes, but we kept up correspondence.
    Don't you love the Internet.
    We also kept up with our lives through our mutual love of Blogging
    Barbara, over the last few years has run a blogging event called a "Taste Of Yellow" tied in with LiveStrong Day. Barbara was a Great admirer of Lance Armstrong.
    She also loved Le Tour de France.
    This was also her chance to help Fund raise and raise awareness for Cancer Research.
    Getting together Bloggers, from all over the World, to post Yellow Food

    We felt that a memorial to Barbara should be held.
    I contacted Meeta of Whats for Lunch Honey
    She runs another Blogging Event called Monthly Mingle and it's timing couldn't be better.

    This time it is being hosted by Jeanne of Cook Sister
    I thought I would share some yellow food with you
    First a Tropical Fruit Crumble

    This crumble topping idea, was given to me by my daughter Katie.
    It is so simple, got lots of crunch and perfect to cover any fruit.
    Why not move away from apple and bring a little touch of Summer into our cold wintery lives.
    After all it is Summer somewhere.
    As luck with have it, they had a special on Pineapple and also Mangoes at my supermarket.
    I'm quite happy buying these fruits out of season, as we don't grow them in this country anyway.
    Passion fruit or Papaya would be good in this Fruit Salad. they are outside of my Budget at the moment.
    The bonus, is the combination of the coconut, in the crumble, with the pineapple
    When topped with cream, you could almost be drinking a Pina Colada

    To feed 4 people
    You will need
    1 pineapple, peeled and cubed
    1 mango, peeled and cubed

    2 tablespoons brown sugar
    2 tablespoons butter
    Zest and juice of 1 orange
    1/4 cup water

    For the Crumble ( this is enough for 8, freeze the bit you don't need)


    1 cup plain flour 
    3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar 
    3/4 cup rolled oats 
    3/4 cup coconut 
    1 tbsp cinnamon (ground) 
    2 tsp nutmeg (ground) 
    2/3 cup butter (melted) 
    2 tsp vanilla essence 

    Add  all of the dry ingredients into a bowl
    Melt the butter
    Add
    Mix together
    Set aside

    Place the prepared fruit into a gratin dish
    Sprinkle brown sugar and orange zest over the top
    Dot with butter
    Pour over the orange juice and water


    Into a 190C oven for about 25 minutes
    A syrup will be formed
    Remove from oven
    Cool

    Sprinkle Crumble over the top
    Once again into 180C oven for 30 minutes

    Serve with Whipped Cream, Creme Fraiche or maybe even Greek Yogurt

    Staying on the Yellow theme...
    I made a simple dinner last night

    Rib Eye Steak, Squash and Brussels Sprouts
    I roasted the vege
    I really like the skin on the Buttercup Squash, (some call it Supermarket Squash)
    It's nutty and the flesh is quite dry. I prefer it to Pumpkin

    Cut the Squash into wedges
    Just toss in Sea salt and Black pepper
    Drizzle over some Olive oil

    Into a 180C for about 40 minutes
    Meanwhile prepare the Brussels Sprouts
    Trim the ends and remove any damaged leaves
    Blanch in boiling salted water, for about 2 minutes
    Drain
    Toss in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper

    When the squash is almost cooked (after 40 minutes)
    Throw in the Brussels Sprouts and roast for about another 20 minutes

    I took the Steak out of the fridge earlier, to bring to room temperature
    Seasoned with Sea salt and Black pepper
    Drizzle over a little olive oil

    Heat your pan till Smokin'
    Add Steak
    Cook about 3 minutes, first side
    This should give a lovely crust
    Turn and cook about just another 2 minutes
    This should give you a nice med-rare steak
    Remove and place on a plate
    Add a little water (just a couple of tablespoons) to the hot pan, to deglaze it
    Scrape up the brown bits and bring back to the boil
    Pour over the steak and let rest for about 4 minutes
    Slice and serve.
    It was so yummy and enormously filling
    Good meal, if you are avoiding Carbs.

    So I had cooked too much squash, of course I made soup for lunch


    2 Tablespoons  Olive oil
    1 onion chopped
    1 carrot grated
    1 tablespoon shredded coconut
    Sea Salt and Pepper
    2 teaspoons Thai Curry paste
    1 litre Chicken stock
    Water
    Left over Squash 
    (About 1/4 medium squash cut into large cubes)
    1 tablespoon fish sauce
    1 heaped teaspoon brown sugar
    Zest of 1 lime
    Juice 1/2 medium lime

    Gently saute onion in olive oil
    Add carrot and coconut
    Season with S & P
    Add curry paste 
    Saute another 3-4 minutes
    Add chicken stock and top up with water to make sure all vege are well covered
    Bring to boil then simmer about 25 minutes
    Add squash,
    Then Fish sauce and sugar and lime zest
    Cook another 15 minutes
    Add lime juice
    Taste, check for seasoning and adjust if necessary


    So Barbara if you are looking down, lots of yellow food for you
    xxx Gilli

    Friday, July 06, 2012

    Announcing the July Monthly Mingle- A Taste of Yellow for Barbara Harris



    I always loved cooking and like many, owned countless cookbooks.
    Bought the Magazines.
    Just loved spending time on the Kitchen.
    Then we got Nigella, Jamie, Hugh, Gordon, Emeril, Bobby, Tyler, Ina et al taking over our screens.
    To be able to watch Great Chefs and excellent Home Cooks prepare food, was an even greater inspiration. So I watched and I cooked.
    Really want to share these recipes with friends, what better way but to start a food blogs and I did.
    My friend Jacqui had a friend who was “kinda into blogging “ as well
    “Why don’t we meet and have lunch”
    This friend was Barbara Harris, the “kinda into blogging” of course, was the ultimate understatement.
    She had already got her Hay Hay It’s Donna Event, up and running.
    Very popular.
    We got on like a house on fire and kept in regular contact.
    Sadly for me, she and her husband Bryan decided to move back to Australia.
    Queensland in fact.
    A much warmer climate than Auckland
    When she started the "Taste of Yellow" Event, I was only too happy to be part of an event, that highlighted the work being done by Cancer Research.
    Barbara was a Cancer Survivor, and she was so impressed with Lance Armstrong and his battle,
    so she scheduled the event around Livestrong Day.
    Unfortunately, Barbara’s Cancer returned and she was about to embark on yet more treatment.
    So she went through the agony and somehow continued to live an active life.
    Meanwhile, contributing so much to Food Bloggers, from around the world.
    She was warm and genuinely interested in everyone’s lives.
    We are all very fortunate to have had her as a friend.

    Two years ago, she ran the event, based around Le Tour de France,
    A group of bloggers were given a pit stop town each, to research and make food from the region.
    I was thrilled to be a part of this project,
    This is the link to Barbara's Event, click here  to view

    As it turns out Le Tour de France has just started. She loved it.
    That in itself is like Karma…now we are about to celebrate Barbara’s life
     The Blogging Community is going to run a Taste of Yellow Event through Meeta’s Monthly Mingle 

    Jeanne of Cook Sister is the host.
    Go to Jeanne's blog Cook Sister
    All the instructions of how to enter are in her announcement.

    This will make a fabulous Tribute to a Wonderful Woman, who will be much missed by her Family, Friends and the Blogging World

    Barbara if you are looking down…This is for you.

    Monday, July 02, 2012

    Bestest Easiest Vegie Soup for a Miserable Day

    This has to be the most miserable day of the Winter so far.
    Second day of the school holidays, thank God we did the Amusement Park yesterday.
    So I had to make soup for lunch

    This is so easy and quick and Sophia, Dale and I have wolfed down a couple of bowls each

    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 onion sliced
    2 stalks celery sliced
    8 medium carrots sliced
    1/4 cabbage chopped
    Vegeta 1 tablespoon
    1 teaspoon chili flakes
    Water

    Heat olive oil in a soup pot
    Add onions
    Saute
    Add celery and carrots
    Season with Vegeta (you can use Salt and Pepper but I love Vegeta)
    Stir and saute for another few minutes
    Add cabbage and chili flakes
    Cover with water and bring to boil
    Simmer till vege are tender (about 30 minutes)

    Put most of the vege into a blender with some extra water
    Leave some behind for texture
    Blitz
    Back into pot
    Bring back to boil

    I served it with Garlic Pita Bread
    Now we are warm and toasty
    Meanwhile here is our fun from yesterday

    A Cousins Outing. Claudia is up from Christchurch.
    Everyone wanted a trip to Rainbow's End
     And would you believe it is cheaper to take me, than nearly 5 year old Cleo
    Katie and Cleo in the front carriage of The Gold Rush
    The Invader, Katie was brave enough to do this, Sophia and I Sat it out. Cleo not tall enough
    But, I did do the CorkScrew Roller Coaster for the First and Last time
    The some fun rides for Miss Cleo
    She had to do the Free Fall twice.

    Joseph meanwhile, did the real one, twice...he's mad
    Yuk

    So we lined up for the pirate ship
    It was fun but once was enough for me

    The kids wanted to go again, so Katie was talked into that as Miss Cleo wanted to go again as well.. She wasn't happy
    She might look it, but she wasn't

    Katie and Joseph went off to do the Power Surge, the worst ride at the Park.
    Meanwhile, we did the Gold Rush again

    Then a final Log Flume

    Dodgems, Ice creams then home.
    A Great day.