Chicken Miso Soup

After having visitors with us for a few days, a low calorie day is necessary today. Need I say anymore. However, a low calorie day for me still needs to be tasty, nutritious and not leaving me wanting for more. I have been hearing a lot of chatter recently about the success of the 5:2 diet, regarding weight loss. That is, eat what you want within the healthy range for 5 days, and fast on only 500 calories per day for 2 days, 500 calories for women, and 600 calories for men, and not on consecutive days.

Roasted parsnip, puy lentil, and watercress salad

The watercress which is growing rampantly in my garden has inspired this recipe. I never thought I would be able to grow watercress in the tropics, however the garden is semi-shaded and well mulched, and as I was gifted a couple of small plants there was no loss if they didn't survive, although I would have been disappointed. Perhaps as the imminent tropical heat sets in it will die back, I hope not, so I am  making the most of their lush green foliage and peppery flavour. I found this recipe in the River Cottage Veg everyday book, and whilst a couple of the ingredients need slight modification the dish is healthy and delicious.

If you are fortunate enough to have access to the authentic Lentilles du Puy, "puy" lentils, then use them for this recipe, although only those grown in the volcanic soils of the Auvergne region of France can legitimately be called puy lentils. A similar story to champagne.The lentils are tiny, and slate green in colour with delicate bluish marbling. However, a French style lentil is now grown in Australia, and packaged by McKenzies as premium French style lentils, and is available from our supermarkets and the Asian supermarket. This is what I used in this recipe for puy lentils.

Rapeseed oil is grown abundantly in beautiful golden fields throughout Europe, and can be found growing occasionally in Australia, however over here it is still marketed as Canola oil. Perhaps in the larger Australian cities cold pressed Rapeseed Oil can be sought out.

This recipe serves 4 as individual servings.

INGREDIENTS:

5 medium parsnips or use sweet potato instead
2 tablespoons canola or rapeseed oil
125g McKenzies French style or Puy Lentils
1 bay leaf
1/2 onion, unchopped
A few parsley stalks
A large bunch of watercress, tough stalks removed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

DRESSING:

1 garlic clove, crushed with a little coarse sea salt in a mortar and pestle
1 teaspoon English mustard
2 teaspoons clear good quality honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons canola or rapeseed oil

Preheat the oven to 190 deg. C. Peel the parsnips and halve them length ways.Cut the wider top parts in half again so that you end up with chunky sections about the same size. Put the parsnips into a roasting tin, scatter with some sea salt and pepper and toss with the oil. Roast them for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through to avoid sticking, until tender or starting to caramelise. TIP: Cook some extra as when they come out of the over they look and taste delicious, and everyone wants to eat some straight away.

Put the lentils in a wide based pan, add plenty of water and bring them to the boil. This won't take long. Simmer for a minute only, then drain. Return the lentils to the pan and pour on just enough water to cover them. Add the bay leaf, onion and parsley stalks. Bring back to a very low simmer and cook slowly for about half an hour until tender but not mushy.

To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together thoroughly with some salt and pepper or shake vigorously in a small glass jar with lid on.

Drain the lentils and pick out the bay leaf, parley stalks and onion.While still hot, toss the lentils with the dressing. Taste and check the seasoning. Add more if necessary.

Add the warm lentils, roasted parsnip chunks and watercress sprigs onto serving plates or a large salad dish, and finish with a few cheese shavings if desired. Add shavings of Parmesan, hard goat's cheese or another well-flavoured hard cheese.

Serve warm.

Orchids in Paradise at the Orchid Extravaganza, Queen's Park, Mackay, Q'ld

Lou Battersby admiring the Orchid display

The highlight of the Orchid Extravaganza at Queen's Park in Mackay, Central Queensland, being held this weekend, would have to be the tropical Orchid House. A magnificent display of spring flowering orchid species blooms, bromeliads, and luscious ferns were captivating everyone when I was there this morning with Lou.  Even for those people who don't grow orchids or even confess to being gardeners, it is an inspiring morning out at an orchid extravaganza that is possibly unrivalled anywhere else in Australia. Perhaps the recent Garden Flower Festival in Singapore might be considered a rival, I say with tongue in cheek. However, Sue and her team of eager volunteers including Anne my neighbour, and our friend Tess,  should  be congratulated on the various decorative and professional effects they designed, created and donated to enhance the presentation of the plants in the Orchid House for the pleasure of Mackay residents and visitors.

Tess Brickhill

It is no wonder that Mackay has been selected to host Orchids in Paradise in 2015, the 20th Australian Orchid Council Conference and Show, from Friday 18th-Wednesday 23rd September, 2015.
Click here for more information about the conference. It is already in my calendar of events not to be missed.

In the grounds outside the Orchid House, at Queen's Park, passionate orchid enthusiasts whilst selling hundreds of orchids, natives and other species, are also very generous in providing experienced information to existing and potential orchid enthusiasts, including me.

It was really nice to meet up again with friends including Anne Douglass, Judith Wake and Isobel Gillman, who were flying the flag in  support of growing Australian Native plants at  the The Society for Growing Australian Plants (SGAP) stand.

A wonderful event for Mackay residents and visitors with free entry except for the cost of a gold coin donation to enter the Orchid House. Beware though, take some extra cash with you as the exquisite and reasonably priced orchids and native plants on sale will try to entice you to take them home, like this one did to me.

STRAWBERRY JAM FLAVOURED WITH ROSE GERANIUM

Strawberry Jam is part of my  childhood memories and a bottle was always to be found somewhere in the kitchen to be eaten on fresh bread and butter, pikelets, scones and fresh cream for special occasions or with sponge cake.When we drove out to the strawberry farm at Cameron's Pocket near Mackay last weekend to do some strawberry picking with Paul and Jenny, and came home laden with strawberries both for eating and jam making, Neil suggested we try and do something different this time with the jam.

That is enough strawberry picking for now, let's have morning tea.

Neil and Paul picking strawberries.

 After all, strawberry jam has been around forever and it is time we became a little bit more creative with its flavour. Luckily, I have also been looking for another culinary use for my rose scented geraniums, besides enhancing chocolate cake, and Neil agreed that the rose geranium  would be a nice, subtle, flavour enhancer to the strawberry jam.

The daily fragrance of the Rose Scented geranium when I water the garden also takes me back to my time living at home when my Mum and I  used to visit the old-fashioned St. Aubin's herb farm in Rockhampton near the airport, now a village nursery, and where the mesmerising smell of the rose scented geraniums always wafted above the other herbal aromas to greet us and say goodbye. Perhaps I have tried to recreate the essence of that memory in my own garden. Enough reminiscing, let's make jam.Spring is in the air.

Ingredients:

2 kg small ripe strawberries
1.7 kg sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
1 50g sachet of Fowlers Jamsetta with Pectin
8 average sized jam bottles
A handful of rose scented geranium leaves (optional)
A square of muslin
Kitchen string

1. Hull the strawberries and discard any spoiled fruit.Set aside about 10 of the smallest berries, and then mash the rest up into a rough pulp. Put them into a wide, thick-bottomed pan, add the the sugar, and the lemon juice and leave for 30 minutes to soften the sugar and bring the strawberries to room temperature. 
2. Meanwhile, prepare your bottles and lids for sterilising in the oven or the dishwasher. Place 2 saucers in the freezer for testing the setting point later.. This quantity makes about 8 average size bottles of jam. Prepare your geranium leaves by tying them up in a square of muslin, as you would with Bouquet Garni, and secure with string. Or if you would prefer a little bit of extra texture in your jam, chop them very finely and add to your mixture as you bring it to the boil. I might try this next time.
3. Add the Fowler's Jamsetta Pectin Powder, and geranium bag to the mixture and bring the pot to the boil on a high heat. Boil the jam for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly, and checking the setting point every minute or so during the last 5 minutes. Do this by placing a teaspoon of jam on the cold saucer from the freezer,  and put it back in the freezer to cool a minute. Take it out and if it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, then it is done.It should be ready after five minutes of testing if not before. However, don't be tempted to overcook the jam, as it can move past its setting capacity.
4. Strawberry jam is unlikely to set very solid like marmalade, and is difficult to tell if it is set from the mixture in the pot. If you think it is setting on the saucer, have faith that it will set in the bottles when it cools. 
5. Take the pot off the heat and skim off the pink scum. Pour into warm sterilised jars through a wide funnel, and cover with  sterilised lids, or Fowlers Vacola Kleerview transparent preserve covers and rubber bands, if you are out of lids. 

When the jam has cooled and set, pat yourself on the back because strawberries are one of the most difficult fruit to make jam from.

Having said all of the above, would you believe that I am an amateur at jam making, and this is my first batch of strawberry jam, and it worked. So you can do it too.

Lentil and Bulgur Salad

Bulgur, also known as burghul, bourghal, and bulgar, is commonly found in Middle Eastern, Turkish, and Mediterranean dishes and is perhaps more commonly known as a significant ingredient in the preparation of tabbouleh. However, with the addition of lentils, and the other herbs, nuts, olives and vegetables, it reaches new heights in this dish. It is also a fibre and protein filled healthy alternative to other grains, such as rice and couscous.

Whilst it is commonly found in Health Food stores, I bought mine at a Middle Eastern shop in Townsville, North Queensland, called Sweet N Sour Middle Eastern Flavour, owned by a very helpful Palestinian gentleman, and worthy of a visit if you are passing through Townsville. Everything in the shop is so reasonably priced, with the Bulgur only $3.80 for 1 kg, and the Helva and Turkish Delight is as authentic and delicious as it gets. The very modest looking shop in Illuka Street, Townsville, makes a visit very worthwhile

Ingredients:

200g (1 cup) brown lentils, rinsed and drained
160g (1 cup) fine Bulgur (cracked wheat)
60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
60ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup chopped dill
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1/2 small green capsicum, finely chopped
1/2 small red capsicum, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
25g (1/4 cup) walnuts, toasted, and chopped
40 g (1/4 cup) pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
100g feta, crumbled
1 tomato chopped

Method:

1. Cover lentils with 500ml water and bring to a simmer in a partially covered saucepan. Cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain them well and place to the side in a large bowl.
2. Place bulgur in a separate bowl, cover with 500ml of boiling water and set aside for 20 minutes. Whilst it is soaking, start preparing the other ingredients. Drain well and add to lentils and mix through.
3. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook gently for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add garlic, and remaining ingredients to the lentil mixture. Season with salt and pepper, mix to combine and serve.

Tell me dear Reader, do you enjoy visiting more out of the way shops so that you can purchase ingredients such as Bulgur in an authentic setting, and enjoy a very different shopping experience?

Best wishes

Pauline