What’s in Nosh’s Fridge?

You may be surprised to see that my fridge really isn’t that full, and that’s how I like it.

I prefer to shop for fresh produce daily and as I’m only catering for myself and my husband, it’s easily do-able. I’m not sure I could it it with a few kids to cater for too!

I keep a stash of the usual staples: Coconut water, almond milk, free-range eggs, butter, bacon etc.

As I pretty much make all our condiments from scratch (tomato sauce, mayonnaise, salad dressings), you won’t see any commercial bottles in my fridge. Just these super cute glass jars from http://www.daiso.com.au. I tend to make condiments as I need them. Salad for dinner tonight: Whip up a quick seeded mustard dressing.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbs seeded mustard
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

Place all the ingredients in the jar, screw the lid back on and shake, shake, shake!

Hubby and I really enjoy smoothies for breakfast. On a week day we tend to go for banana, almond milk, shredded coconut and linseed meal. Whack the ingredients into a blender and blitz.

Here’s a tip: Peel very ripe bananas, slice in half, place in ziplock bags, expel as much air as possible and place them in the freezer. Frozen bananas give your smoothie a gorgeous creamy texture and saves having to add ice cubes.

Some if our favorite smoothie combinations are:

Banana, coconut water, frozen berries and linseed meal.

Coconut water, peeled and de-seeded cucumber, mint and lemon/lime juice.

Coconut water, watermelon, banana and chia seeds.

As I purchase meat on a daily basis, apart from bacon, I tend not to freeze meat. I purchase organic (limited), free-range meat where possible. We absolutely love kangaroo and consume it 2-3 times per week. Steak is also a favourite and I love making sauces to go with our steaks.

Red Wine Jus

1/2 brown onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 anchovie fillet, roughly chopped
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock

Melt butter in a medium saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add red wine and anchovie fillet and simmer until reduced by half. Add beef stock and simmer for 12 minutes.

Two items I must point out are anchovies in olive oil and cooked quinoa.

Anchovies bring sooooooo much flavour to a sauce/dressing. I promise you won’t even taste the ‘fishy’ taste most people don’t like. Start experimenting with anchovies, it will take your dishes to a new flavour level.

Cooked quinoa is a great staple to have in your fridge. Once you cook it, you can store it for 3-4 days. I often grab 1/2 cup quinoa and mix it with tuna, diced beetroot, boiled eggs, rocket, spinach, Kale; anything I can find! It’s quick, healthy and utterly satisfying.

So, that’s the ‘Nosh Nosh’ part of my fridge. There is a ‘Splosh’ part of my fridge too, after all you can’t be good all the time! I really enjoy fresh, healthy, homemade food over a few glasses of wine. I’m sploshing on Prosecco at the moment. Prosecco is a dry sparkling wine from Italy (similar to real French Champagne). Prosecco is perfect for a pre-dinner spritzer, especially in this hot weather. I’m also sploshing on Margaret River sauvignon blanc. It’s not as fruity as NZ sav’s and is also utterly refreshing in this hot Brisbane weather.

So that’s my fridge in a nutshell. Fresh in, fresh out. Basically zero processed foods. I hope you enjoyed peeking inside my fridge and I hope you pop on over to my blog http://www.noshnoshsplosh.wordpress.com and my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/noshnoshsplosh.

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Greek Lamb Shoulder & Quinoa Salad

This is definitely a weekend dish to please a crowd.

Slow cooked spring lamb stuffed with fresh oregano and chunky garlic served with a quinoa Greek salad makes for an easy but satisfying feast.

The Lamb

1.5kg shoulder of lamb (boneless)
4 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
3/4 bunch fresh oregano
Juice of one lemon (approx 3-4 tbs)
Olive oil
Himalayan salt
Cracked black pepper

Pre-heat oven or BBQ to 140 degrees. Place a roasting rack into a roasting tray and add about 1 inch of water.

The lamb shoulder will be tied together with kitchen string. You should be able to stuff the garlic and oregano into the lamb shoulder through the openings at either end. I use the end of a wooden spoon to push the garlic and oregano evenly into the shoulder.

Place shoulder onto the roasting rack. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil.

Place shoulder in the oven and set the timer for 1.5 hours.

After 1.5 hours, turn the temperature up to 160 degrees and set the timer for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove the foil and crank the oven/BBQ up to 230 degrees (or as hot as you can get it). Set the timer for another 10-15 minutes and allow the outside of the shoulder to crisp up.

Remove from the oven/BBQ, loosely cover with foil and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Just prior to serving, slice the shoulder into 1/2 inch slices and drizzle with

The Salad

1 large Lebanese cucumber, diced chunky
1 punnet grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red capsicum, finely diced
1/2 green capsicum, finely diced
1/2 red onion, sliced into half moons
100g jumbo kalamata olives, pitted
1 cup cooked quinoa

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
Cracked black pepper.

Gently combine cucumber, tomatoes, capsicum, red onion, olives and quinoa in a large bowl.

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to combine.

Dress salad just prior to serving.

Serving dishes by:

http://www.hospitalitywholesale.com.au

Crustless Leek, Bacon & Gorgonzola Quiche

1 tbs olive oil
2 large leeks, white section only, washed and thinly sliced
100g bacon, roughly diced
1/2 tbs raw honey
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
20g Gorgonzola cheese (or cheese of your choice)*

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Lightly oil a quiche dish and set aside.

Heat 1 tbs olive in a fry pan over medium heat. Add leek and sauté until soft. Drizzle with honey, turn up the heat slightly and continue to cook until leek slightly caramelises. Remove leek from pan and place in quiche dish.

Add bacon and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and add to leek, stir to combine.

Meanwhile, crack eggs into a mixing bowl, add milk, season with Himalayan salt and cracked black pepper. Whisk thoroughly and pour over leek and bacon.

Dollop small 5 cent piece sized pieces of Gorgonzola over the quiche.

Place in the oven and cook for approx 30 minutes.

Serve with a garden salad.

*Gorgonzola is an extremely pungent cheese and not to everyone’s taste. If you are going to use it, use it sparingly so it doesn’t take over the taste of the overall quiche.

Alternative cheeses can be used such as Bree or Camembert, but you will need to use more as these cheeses aren’t so pungent.

For a kid friendly quiche, use 1/2 cup tasty cheese and mix it in with the eggs and milk before you pour the mixture over the quiche.

Mediterranean Zoodles

Next to zero carbs, this Mediterranean Zoodle dish packs flavour and feels like a major carb load.

Mediterranean Zoodles

Serves 2

2 zucchinis ‘zoodled’ or julienned
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
150g mushrooms, sliced
2 rashers prosciutto, roughly sliced
2 BBQ chicken breasts, roughly chopped into bite sized pieces
8 sun dried tomatoes (in olive oil), roughly chopped
100ml full fat cream
2 egg yolks
1 tbs macadamia dukkah (or toasted pine nuts)

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a frypan. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add mushrooms, cook stirring until they begin to soften. Add prosciutto and cook until slightly crispy. Add BBQ chicken breasts and cook until heated through. Add zoodles and sun dried tomatoes and cook stirring until they soften slightly. Add cream and egg yolks and stir through. Divide between two plates and sprinkle with dukkah or pine nuts.

Chilli, Garlic & Lime Beef Sitr Fry

Forget store bought, sugar and additive laden stir fry sauces. This recipe uses pungent and fresh flavours to create a beautifully healthy stir fry.

Serves 2

1/2 tbs coconut oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced
1 long red chilli finely chopped
2 x 200g scotch fillets, finely sliced
1/2 tbs sesame oil
1 onion finely sliced
1/2 green capsicum, chopped
1 bunch of broccolini cut into 3cm batons
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
1/2 fresh lime

Heat coconut oil in a wok or frypan over high heat. Add garlic, ginger and chilli and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the beef and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Remove everything from the pan ad drizzle with the sesame oil.

Add onion and capsicum to the pan and stir fry for about a minute. Add the broccolini and cook for a further minute. Add the kaffir lime leaves and the beef an briefly cook to warm the beef through. Squeeze lime juice over the stir fry just prior to serving.

Ginger Poached Chicken w/ Coriander Dressing

This dish is totes ah-la-Donna-Hay, just slightly adjusted.

As per the pic, I LOVE cooking my veggies with my meat. Not only does it save time, it maximises flavour.

Ginger-poached Chicken with Coriander Dressing

Serves 4

4 cups chicken stock
4cm knob of ginger sliced into 12 pieces
4 x 150g chicken breast fillets, trimmed
175g bunch broccolini, trimmed

Coriander Dressing
⅓ cup (90g) tahini
2 tablespoons water
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbs white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bunch coriander leaves
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
sea salt and cracked black pepper

To make the coriander dressing, place the tahini, water, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, coriander, parsley, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.
Place stock, ginger and chicken in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Simmer for 6 minutes, flip and simmer for another 3 minutes, then add the broccolini and cook for a further 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and broccolini is tender.
Remove chicken from pan and slice.

Place on serving plates with the broccolini and spoon over the coriander dressing.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Honey Meringue Icing

I’m not a baking kinda gal, I don’t like the ‘measuring’ of all the ingredients part. I’m more of a splash of this and a dash of that kinda gal. I also don’t have a sweet tooth at all, give me a cheese platter any day! Having said that, these are pretty special looking cupcakes that are not only gluten free, they are Primal friendly too.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Honey Meringue Icing

Makes 8 cupcakes

3/4 coconut flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh strawberries
2 extra strawberries thinly sliced for garnish.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Line 8 muffin cups with cupcake wrappers.

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend on low until combined. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and combine on low with a handheld mixer.

Scoop 2-3 tbs of batter into each prepared muffin cups. Gently smooth the top of each cupcake.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. The cupcakes wont look ‘pretty’ at this stage! Let the cupcakes cool to room temperature.

Honey Meringue Icing

2 egg whites at room temperature
1/4 tsp vinegar
1/3 cup melted honey

Add egg whites and vinegar to a large glass mixing bowl. Mix with electric beaters until peaks just begin to form.

Slowly add the melted honey in a thin stream whilst beating. Continue beating for about 4-5 minutes until very stiff peaks form.

Use a spatula to ice the cupcakes. Place under a very hot grill for about 1 minute or until they start to brown. Keep an eye on them, they brown quickly! Garnish with sliced strawberries.

Chia Seed Bircher Muesli

Since going 99% grain free, I’ve really missed cereal and toast in the mornings. But this little gem of a recipe has fixed that!

Chia Seed Bircher Muesli

Serves 2

2 tbs chia seeds
1 tbs ground flaxseed
1 tbs shredded coconut
1/4 cup yoghurt
1/4 cup almond milk
1 apple grated
1 tbs raw honey or bee pollen

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Top with fresh fruit.

Warm BBQ Chicken, Basil Pesto & Zoodle Salad

This Warm BBQ Chicken, Basil Pesto and Zoodle Salad is soooooo good, hubby and I just devoured the whole lot in one go!

If you haven’t come across ‘zoodles’ before, they are just zucchinis sliced with a spiral cutter to look like noodles/spaghetti.

I purchased my from a local home wears store. They aren’t cheap (approx $39) but are worth every cent, specially if you prefer low carb/gluten free eating.

Warm BBQ Chicken, Basil Pesto & Zoodle Salad

Serves 4

1 bunch fresh basil
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2-3 tbs olive oil
3 zucchinis ‘zoodled’
1 BBQ chicken shredded
Cherry tomatoes

Place basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and 2 – 3 tbs olive oil in a blender and blitz until combined.

Sauté zucchini zoodles in 1 tbs olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add BBQ chicken and basil pesto and gently toss to combine until the zoodles and chicken are coated in the pesto. Season with Himalayan salt and pepper.

Serve topped with quartered cherry tomatoes.

Thai Surf ‘n’ Turf

This fusion of Thai and the classic Australian steak came about because I want salad and hubby wants a nice juicy steak, so Thai Surf ‘n’ Turf it is!

Thai Surf ‘n’ Turf

Serves 4

4 steaks (cut of your choice)
20 green prawns, peeled and deveined, tails intact and threaded onto skewers.

Cook steaks to your liking. While resting the steak cook the prawn skewers for about 40 seconds each side.

Coconut Cream Dressing

1/2 cup coconut cream
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp coconut sugar/brown sugar
2-3 tbs finely chopped fresh coriander

Place all ingredients into a screw top jar and shake until combined.

Green Papaya Salad

1 green papaya or 2 green mangoes, finely shredded (Asian supermarkets)
8 cherry tomatoes halved
1 large handful fresh coriander roughly chopped
1 handful mint leaves
1/4 cup cashews

Combine all ingredients, refrigerate until ready to use. Dress just prior to serving.