~Albacore Tuna......Tangy Tuna Burgers~

At my local Farmer's Markets I found a new-to-me fish mince......

Albacore Tuna is often called 'chicken of the sea' due to its meaty-flavoured flesh, which turns white on cooking.

The mince was white and the texture was very similar to chicken.......delicious!

Served with a simple salad......the rissoles take no time to make

Perfect for when you've been out to the markets!!!

Recipe Tangy Tuna Burgers adapted from BBC Good Food

We did have an Australian version......oh how I loved this magazine but sadly it stopped last Christmas!!!

ALBACORE TUNA BURGERS

500g minced albacore/200g tuna steaks 

1 garlic clove, finely chopped......I used 4

small knob fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp soy sauce

handful coriander leaves, chopped

1 tbsp sunflower oil......I used coconut oil

burger buns, lettuce leaves, sliced tomato and avocado, to serve

METHOD

Chop the tuna into small chunks until the tuna is roughly minced 

Tip the tuna into a bowl and mix with the garlic, ginger, soy sauce and coriander 

Shape into two patties (for the steaks)......you should get 4 out of the mince, place on a plate, then freeze for 10 mins to firm up

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, then cook the burgers for 1-2 mins on each side or until done to your liking 

Serve the burgers in toasted buns with lettuce, tomato and avocado or whatever salad you prefer

This would even make a lovely meal with mashed potato and vegies!!!

Bon Appetit......Dzintra 

Cook Up With Donna Hay....

My latest cook up with donna hay and Irina saw me using the Spices Cinnamon and Star Anise 

Green Apples

and the last of the Season's Mandarins

All from this beautiful issue of donna hay magazine No 69 Jun/July 2013

Beautiful in that there are some lovely Flourless Cakes recipes in it.......Perfect for Gluten Free people

The menu......Mandarin and Soy Braised Ribs

Boiled Rice

Red Cabbage

Fennel 

Telegraph Cucumber with Fennel Tips

Spiced Layered Apple Cake

I started off by slicing the apples in my new super-duper Food Processor

Look how beautiful the apple slices look......seeds'n all!!!

I used Rapadura Sugar instead of White Sugar

The apples had to be held down by cans when finished cooking

donna's version above

and my version ready to be chilled for Dessert

Now it's back to work preparing the Ribs

All done now

Red Cabbage

and Cucumber

And here'tis......all ready

And the flavour combinations were just delicious!!!

The Layered Apple Cake was just sublime nice and cold

With or without some Whipped Cream!!!

I love doing these cook ups especially now that Irina has joined me

If you want to join in just leave a comment or email

It's all easy.......just cook something from the latest magazine and blog it!!!

Bon Appetit......Dzintra

~Dutch Ginger Slice~

~Dutch Ginger Slice~

Oh how I love this beautiful slice!!!

Organic Crystalized Ginger

Rapadura Sugar

Rapadura sugar – is an unrefined sugar, made from minimally processed organic sugar cane. After the cane is harvested it is pressed to squeeze out the cane juice, which is then clarified, filtered and evaporated to remove excess water. The resulting syrup is then crystallized, and is rich with molasses flavour and the vitamins, minerals and trace elements that are naturally found in the molasses of the sugar cane plant, as it is not separated from the nutrient dense molasses part of the sugar cane. It is a high quality whole sweetener. It has a low /medium sweetening power with a marked molasses flavour. Simply substitute 1 cup of rapadura for 1 cup of other sugars.

Thank you to Rustic Pantry for the info above

Butter melting

Adding ingredients

Blanched Almonds atop

All done

Sliced

and ready to have with a cuppa!!!

RECIPE for JEAN'S DUTCH GINGER CAKE

* 125g ginger

* 200g unsalted butter

* 1C Caster Sugar......I used Rapadura Sugar

* 13/4 Plain Flour......I used Gluten Free Flour

* 1 egg

*  Melt butter, add all other ingredients including beaten egg

* Mix well

* Press into greased and lined tin

* Decorate with whole blanched almonds and glaze with egg yolk if desired

* Bake in moderate oven approx 25m

How easy is this!!!

Thank you so much to Jean for this recipe as was given to me which I have a pic of above 

I worked with Jean many years ago whilst in Bathurst......

Bon Appetit and Happy Baking......Dzintra

Middle Eastern Bean Patties with Yogurt and Mint Salsa

Recently I went to my Daughter's Day Programme and did a cooking class with the clients

Above is a pic of the Middle Eastern Bean Patties with Yogurt and Mint Sauce ready for cooking

The patties all lined up ready to go

Trying to do a 'cheffy' pose here whilst thinking how would Matt Moran do this LOL

From left to right here.......Alan, Adam, Angie, JoJo, Mieke and me

A very successful lunch and I'm back again to do another one......this time a Chicken Laksa

Before trying this with the gang I did a practice run at home

The Patties are from Cooking with Quinoa by Rena Patten

Quinoa - pronounced keen-wah - is a grain, but not just any grain. It is considered to be almost a complete food. It is very high in protein, full of vitamins, gluten- and wheat-free, cholesterol-free and usually organic. And it is simply delicious. This title shows you many different ways to use quinoa.

We have just discovered quinoa in our house and love it

These patties have become a firm favourite with us!!!

Uncooked Patties

Cooking

Served with Broccoli and a simple salad

* R E C I P E*

Makes 8-10....you could even get 15 patties.......they are a really good size

Gluten Free, Vegetarian and for Dairy Free omit Yogurt

~ 1/2C quinoa grain, rinsed and drained

1C water

2 x 400g cans red kidney beans - rinsed and drained

3 cloves garlic, grated

4 shallots or spring onions, finely sliced

1t ground cumin

1/2 - 1t chilli powder

3T chopped coriander

1 egg

salt to taste

2T olive oil

YOGURT MINT SALSA

~1/2C Greek Yogurt

1T finely chopped mint

1t extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Place quinoa in small saucepan with the water.  Bring to boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer 10m until all water is absorbed.  Remove from heat and cool.

Coarsely mash kidney beans with fork or potato masher.  

Add cooked quinoa, garlic, shallots, cumin, chilli, coriander and egg.

Season with salt and mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Divide mixture into 8 or 10....but it will do 15 smaller ones and shape into round patties.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in pan.  Add patties and cook until golden on both sides, aprox 3-4 m each side.

To make the salsa mix together yogurt, mint, oil and season as desired.

Serve the patties with the yogurt mint salsa and a garden salad.

A yummy meal highly recommended.....

Bon Appetit......Dzintra

A Gluten Free Chocolate Cake by Donna Hay with White Wings Flour!!!

 When I first bought some Gluten Free White Wings Self Raising Flour I noticed that there was a recipe on the pack for 'melt-and-mix chocolate cake' by Donna Hay

So off I toddled and gave it a go......

Once cooked JoJo decorated it with pink chocolate buttons from Koko Black

A slice cut

Served with cream......

Verdict - pretty good!!!!

RECIPE

Oven 180c fan forced - pre heated

Pan:  greased 22cm round pan lined with non-stick baking paper

* 250g unsalted butter, melted

*3/4C (75g) cocoa, sifted

*1and 1/3C (295g) caster sugar (I used rapadura sugar)

*3 eggs

1 and 1/2C (180g) almond meal

*1 and 1/2C (225g) White Wings Gluten-Free SR Flour, sifted

*3/4C (180ml) milk

CHOC FUDGE ICING

*250g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

*1/2C (125ml) pouring (single) cream

70g unsalted butter

METHOD

*  Place butter, cocoa, sugar, eggs, almond meal, flour and milk in a bowl and whisk to combine

*Pour into pan

*Bake for 1 hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer.  Allow to cool in the tin completely

ICING

*Place chocolate, cream and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely

*Beat the cooled icing with electric beaters until thick and fluffy and spread over cake with a palette knife to serve.

Nice'n easy......

Bon Appetit......Dzintra