450g Pork Mince
1 Green Chilli
2 Cloves of Garlic
Juice of 1 Lemon
Zest of 1/2 Lemon
Juice of 1 Lime
Zest of 1/2 Lime
2 Tbsp of Plain Flour
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Oregano

Mix the juice of Lemon and Lime with the Mince in a large bowl, and set aside for at least an hour.
Heat oven at 200 C

Finely chop and crush the Garlic and Chillis, mix with the Salt, Oregano and Zest of Lemon and Lime.

Combine the two bowls with the flour, and mix well till evenly mixed.

Put in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes until they are golden brown on the outside.

Serve with Pasta, Rice or Potatoes.

Photo Credit: Photo by toastyghosty.

A quick, easy and healthy treat, this is easy to adjust to suit your tastes and style.

You will need:

• 350g Steak
• 2 plum tomatoes, cut into various sizes
• 550g of julienne-style romaine lettuce
• 3tbsp crumbled cheese
• 40g finely sliced onion – can be red or white
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Heat a small amount of butter in a griddle pan until smoking

2. Place the Steak into the pan – cook for around 1minute per side, whilst seasoning the upwards side with the sale and pepper

3. Whilst the steak rests (for between three and five minutes) Mix the onion, tomatoes and garlic in a large bowl

4.  Slice the Steak into narrow strips – no wider than 1cm

5. Add the sliced Steak, lettuce and oil to the bowl, then toss so all is covered well. Crumble the cheese on top before service.

To make this dish a bit different, it’s worth experimenting with lots of the ingredients – the time spent cooking the meat, what type of meat you use (Beef, Pork, Lamb or Chicken), and the cut of meat, the type of cheese, and if you use an oil or vinaigrette.

Photo Credit: Benimoto on Flickr.

When life hands you lemons, do as the Moroccans do, and preserve them!

The truth is that there are few things in life I love more than a bowl full of lemons. They’re such a beautiful, versatile fruit- zest them, juice them, slice them up thin… I can think of a dozen things I can do with a fresh lemon right off the top of my head. And one of those things is to preserve them.

If you’ve never cooked with preserved lemons, be forewarned: you’re likely to become addicted, seeking out their singular goodness in every stew you make from hereon out. Yes, they’re that good. And so easy to make!

Homemade Moroccan Preserved Lemons

You’ll need a lot of lemons, the number of which depend on the size of your container. My husband and I purchased a large glass jar for this, but any airtight container should do. I recommend glass, ceramic or stone- not plastic or metal.

Scrub the lemons clean, then quarter them, but make sure to leave them attached on one side, sort of like a blooming flower. Sprinkle each lemon generously with sea salt, rock salt, pickling salt or kosher salt. Don’t use fine table salt.

Pack the lemons tightly into the container, adding spices if you like (totally optional)- examples would be bay leaves, a cinnamon stick, some coriander seeds… whatever you like.

Or leave them plain. Which is what I like.

You want to push the lemons down constantly so they release their juices, and ultimately become completely covered in their own juices. You can also squeeze some more lemon juice on top of this.

Keep in a cool, dark place (I am forced to use the refrigerator). They will be ready in about a month.

Fresh shrimp is one of those things that I’d rather not do “too much” to. Like a good steak or some organic free-range chicken, it’s an ingredient I like to really taste. And it’s pricey enough.

To me, shrimp doesn’t get much tastier than this: Halabos na Hipon, a Filipino dish my husband and I (and every FIlipino I know) grew up with, is fresh shrimp at its most basic: steamed in its own juices. These are usually served unpeeled on large platters, with or without a dipping sauce, meant to be peeled with your fingers and popped in your mouth as you chatter away.

Its one of my favorite memories of Family Sunday lunches… and my fingers always smelled shrimpy for days after, despite constant hand-washing.

Shrimp cooked this way, without even water to dilute its natural flavor, is unbelievably tasty. You will love it.

Filipino Halabos na Hipon

1 kilo fresh shrimp
1 whole head garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
vegetable oil

Wash and clean the shrimp, but don’t peel. Combine in a large saucepan with garlic, onion and seasonings. Cover and cook over medium heat. Stir once or twice to make sure the shrimp is nice and wet (from its own juices!) and not sticking to the pan. You want to cook it for 5 minutes tops. Then sprinkle some oil around, saute a bit, and serve.

*Note: I realize that instructions like “sprinkle some oil around” and “saute a bit” are not exactly good recipe speak. But Filipino cooking is like that- delicious recipes passed on by teaching.

One of the things my husband and I try to do every Lenten season is give up meat. Well, as much meat as possible. We love salads, of course, and a our fresh tomato and cheese sandwiches are particularly satisfying, but when we want something with a little more heft, we turn to potatoes. Baked potatoes.

My usual baked potato features a very generous amount of crispy bacon bits (the real stuff, mind you- none of that bottled capsicum “bacon”), but for Lent we do without. And you know what? The baked potatoes are still awesome. I’m convinced it’s the sour cream and chives- one of the best combinations in the world.

Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream & Chives
Serves 4, or 2 very hungry people

4 large russet potatoes
vegetable oil (Canola or Sunflower)
Kosher salt
For topping:
good butter, salted
sour cream
chives, chopped fine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash potatoes well with a brush or scrubber under cold running water. Wipe gently with an absorbent cloth until dry.

Poke around 8 deep holes on each potato, using a good sturdy fork. I use a regular table fork. Coat lightly with vegetable oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, and put on a baking sheet. Bake around an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, or until the flesh beneath the skin feels soft.

Serve immediately with some good butter, sour cream and chives. If you like, wrap the potatoes in foil first- this helps prevent the skin from shriveling too much.