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Citrus Cured Lamb Hearts

elsie — Thu, 03 May 2012 05:19:51 +0000

Inspired by a recipe for citrus cured wagyu beef in Luke Nguyen’s Indochine, I made this amazingly delicious appetizer using lamb hearts.

Citrus-cured lamb hearts

Ingredients

2 lamb hearts
juice from 2 Tahitian limes
2 tsp of coconut aminos
1 tsp of coconut nectar
a pinch of salt & freshly ground pepper
1 tsp of grated ginger (optional)
1 tsp of fried garlic
a handful of herbs finely chopped (I used saw-tooth coriander, mint, green onion)
1 tbs chopped crispy nuts
a drizzle of coconut vinaigrette

Method

Clean and trim the heart and cut into thin slices.
Arrange in a single layer in a dish.
Mix the lime juice, coconut aminos, salt & pepper, ginger and coconut nectar in a bowl and pour the mixture over the slices of lamb hearts.
Cover and set aside to marinate for 1/2 hour.
Remove the lamb hearts from the lime mixture and give it a squeeze to remove the excess.
Place the lamb hearts in a bowl with the mixed herbs, fried garlic and chopped crispy nuts.
Drizzle with the coconut vinaigrette.

For the coconut vinaigrette combine the following ingredients in a jar, screw tight and give it a good shake.

3 tbs coconut vinegar
3 tbs garlic infused EVOO
1 tsp coconut aminos
a pinch of salt
a pinch of chilli flakes
1 tbs lime juice
1 tbs coconut nectar (or a couple drops of stevia)

Steak Tartare

elsie — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 07:43:07 +0000

Steak Tartare

A simple, nutrient dense meal!

Ingredients

best quality grass fed beef fillet (allow 125 to 150 grams per person)
egg yolk (1 per person), use only the freshest, best quality eggs, preferably pastured

seasonings

spanish onions (finally chopped)
salted capers (rinsed and chopped)
gherkins (I used my own lacto fermented cucumbers)
flat leaf parsley (finely chopped)
chives (finally chopped)
garlic infused EV olive oil
Coconut aminos
piment d’espelette
salt & black pepper

Method

Trim the meat and chop it finely.
Add the seasonings (onions, capers, gherkins, parsley, chives, piment d’espelette, olive oil, coconut aminos, salt & pepper) according to your liking.
Form into a patty.
Place an egg yolk on top.
Serve with a side salad and thin slices of toasted sourdough bread.

To make steak tartare you need to use the best quality beef. Fortunately, we have access to good quality, chemical free, grass fed beef directly from the farmer. Our beef comes from Hawthorne Partnership (a father and son team) whose farm is located in Tannymorel near the border town of Killarney, Queensland (see flyer below):

Baked Ricotta with tomatoes & olives

elsie — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:21:49 +0000

Ingredients

350g ricotta (homemade)
50g parmesan (grated)
1 egg (separated)
1 tbs basil (sliced thinly)
lemon zest
sea salt & pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C.
In a bowl place the ricotta, egg yolk, parmesan, lemon zest, basil leaves and stir to combine.
Add whisked egg white to the mixture and gently fold until combined. Season with salt & pepper.
Spoon the mixture into well greased baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden.

For a delicious lunch serve it with olives & roasted cherry tomatoes!

When Chocolate is inevitable …… make it a good one!

elsie — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 03:41:33 +0000

Over the Easter holidays, I received an email from Pam, a friend and member of our monthly cook & chat group, sharing a recipe for a homemade chocolate that she created. With her permission, I am posting her recipe here:

When Chocolate is inevitable – make a good one!

Someone gave me a small box of cherry liqueur chocolates which started me thinking! Loved the liqueur bit and I had some dried cranberries so here is the recipe -
Easter Chocolate Special

2 heaped tablespoons Creamed Coconut
1 tablespoon good coconut oil
1/2 cup Organic Cocoa
1/2 cup Organic Carob (it is naturally sweet so no sugar needed)
1/2 cup flaky Coconut
1/2 cup dried Cranberries, chopped a bit smaller
1/2 cup of a chocolate liqueur mixed with a raspberry liqueur (left over Christmas gifts!)
Dash of pure Vanilla
1 desert spoon home made butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup good thick cream

Soak the chopped Cranberries in the liqueur for as long as possible

As the creamed coconut was solid I put the lot minus the cream into a double boiler and stirred it over hot water till it all melted together

Take it off the heat and stir in the cream. I think at this stage as much stirring as possible helps with the smoothness of the chocolate.

I set about half into heart shaped moulds.

Set the rest on a piece of baking paper on a flat tray. Freeze then cut into squares.

Store in freezer or fridge depending on how hard you like it.

Have fun.

Happy & Healthy eating(plus chocolate!)

Pam

Following on from Pam’s recipe, I made a batch at home using mostly carob (recipe after the photos).

Ingredients:

100 gm creamed coconut
35 gm coconut oil
35 gm cultured butter
60 gm roasted carob powder
20 gm raw cacao powder (for the chocolaty flavour)
1/4 tsp sea salt
for variations you can add dried fruits, nuts, ……

Method

Place the creamed coconut, coconut oil and butter in a double boiler over low heat and stir until melted.
Remove from heat and add the sifted carob powder, cacao powder & salt, stirring until well combined.
Place in chocolate moulds or baking tray.
Refrigerate.

I put some into chocolate moulds and placed a sour cherry in each mould and to the rest I added a couple drops of peppermint oil and spread thinly onto a parchment paper to make thin mint.

This recipe is for special occasions when chocolate is inevitable …..

More about carob here.

Lacto Fermented Granola

elsie — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:35:53 +0000

Making Lacto-Fermented Granola (for the recipe click here).

Preparing the mix.

2-day fermentation using the pickl-it system

Dehydrated Granola. Sprinkle over your kefir or yogurt for that added crunch.

Granola Bar

To make the Granola Bar – 3 cups of granola, a handful of crispy nuts, sour cherries and coconut flakes, 1/4 cup of raw honey, 1/3 cup of melted coconut oil and 1/3 cup of softened creamed coconut. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour mixture into tray and refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Cut into slices and keep refrigerated.

Why do we need to soak and ferment our grains?

“Traditional cuisines and pre-industrialized peoples from around the world took great care to soak or ferment their grains before consuming them as porridges, breads and casseroles.…”

Read this article by Sally Fallon and watch this video by Sarah Pope on proper preparation of grains & legumes (Weston A Price Foundation).

Coconutty Squares

elsie — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:40:01 +0000

These coconutty squares are absolutely yummy. It is a great and easy way to incorporate good fats into your diet.

Ingredients

Basic Recipe

1 1/4 cup creamed coconut (softened)
1/2 cup coconut oil (softened)
1/4 cup raw cultured butter (softened)
a good handful of crispy nuts (nuts which have been soaked and dehydrated)
a good handful of unsweetened coconut flakes
a good pinch of sea salt

Optional extras

a squeeze of lime/lemon juice
zest of lime/lemon
1 or 2 tbs of Lacto Fermented brew (ginger beer, coconut water kefir, …..)

Note: If you need a bit of sweetener, you can add some chopped dried fruits. This recipe is very flexible, you can play around with the quantity of the creamed coconut, coconut oil and butter.

Method

Place creamed coconut, coconut oil and butter in a mixer and beat until smooth and creamy.
Add the salt and give it a good stir.
Pour the mixture into a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkle the nuts and coconut flakes over the top.
Place in the refrigerator until set.
Cut into squares and store them in a container and keep refrigerated.

Coconut Water Kefir

elsie — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 07:32:06 +0000

Delicious, refreshing Coconut Water Kefir!

Note: I prefer to use local coconuts from tropical North Queensland (photo bottom right) whenever they are available from our local organic store but on occasions have used imported ones from Thailand (photo bottom left).

Happy Easter

elsie — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 12:07:33 +0000

No related posts.

Photos on Sunday (P.o.S)

elsie — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 10:23:06 +0000

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Salted Duck Eggs

elsie — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:34:14 +0000

I love salted duck eggs. They are basically eggs which have been immersed in a brine for 3 to 4 weeks to preserve them. Some months back when I spotted some fresh duck eggs for sale at the local farmers’ market, I bought some to make my own salted duck eggs.

To make the brine, you need 1 part of salt to 4 parts of water. Bring the salt and water to the boil. Allow to cool. Immerse the eggs and patiently wait 3 to 4 weeks. Remove them from the brine and keep them in the fridge where they will last for a few months. When ready to use, steam or boil the eggs. The yolks are most delicious – bright orange, firm and slightly oily. The whites can be used although it can be quite salty.

How do I use my salted duck egg? I love it as a accompaniment to Thai curries, added to salad, stir fry, omelette, used it in pasta (in place of bottarga) ………