Tempt yourself . .
Surprise yourself. Next time you visit your local supermarket or deli browse the shelves with an eye for something different. There are alwaysnewtemptations to try which will add interest tomeals.
I recently discovered black bean noodles. They’re 100 per cent plant based, have a lowsugar content and are gluten-free. The thin spaghetti-like noodles cook in five to eightminutes. Slightlychewyand with amild flavour, theymarry well with hot sauces or cold dressings.
Date syrup, one of the oldest sweeteners known, is again becoming popular. It ismade by heating dates in water, pureeing them, straining, then evaporating the cooking water. The result is a thick dark brown liquid containing the vitamins andminerals fromthe dates. Use in to flavour everything fromchicken dishes to desserts.
Vincotto translates as ‘cooked wine’ but is actually a reduction of unfermented fruit and skins of grapes or other tree fruit such as figs. The result is a sweet-tart flavourknown in Italy as agrodolce. Alittle goes a long way. Sprinkle fig vincotto over roastedmeat, grilled fish, soups, salads, oysters, berries and desserts such as pavlova!
Summer is definitely fresh mozzarella time and little cherrysized bocconcini are ideal in salads, on antipasto platters, sliced and grilled on bruschetta or on pizzas. Enjoy!
CHERRYBOCCONCINI SUMMERSALAD
Acousin of cherry bocconcini— the large burrata— is a pouch of fresh mozzarella filled with rich, fresh cream, would also be excellent in this.
Ingredients
■ Lemondressing: 1⁄2cupextravirgin olive oil
■ 1 clove garlic, crushed
■ finely grated rind 1lemon
■ 1 tablespoonthymeleaves
■ Salad: 125g cherry bocconcini, drained
■ 12 cocktail tomatoes (different colours)
■ 1 ripe nectarine or peach, sliced
■ 1⁄2cup fresh basil leaves
■ 1 cupraspberries
■ flaky sea saltandfreshlyground black pepper to taste
■ 6-8 slices ciabatta toasted for serving
Method
Tomake the dressing, combine the oil, garlic, lemon rind and thyme in asmall saucepan on low heat. Gently warmthemixture, then turn off the heat. Steep for 20minutes, then strain. Adda squeezeof lemon juice.
Place the cherry bocconcini in a small bowl and cover with the dressing. Marinate for at least 1hour. Place the bowl inthe centre of a platter.
Arrange the tomatoes, nectarine slices, basil and raspberries around the bowl, drizzle with lemon-dressing. Serve with toasted ciabatta. Serves 2.
DATESYRUPBBQCHICKEN
Ingredients
■ 10 chicken drumsticks
■ 3 tablespoons each: lemonjuice, date syrup
■ 4 cloves garlic, crushed
■ Baste: 1⁄ cup barbecue sauce
4
■ 3 tablespoons date syrup
■ 1 tablespoon siracha
Method
Place the chicken drums inazip-lock bag or a bowl. Combine the lemon juice, date syrup and garlic. Pour over the chicken andmove it around so it is evenly coated. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4hours, turning often.
Mix the barbecue sauce, date syrup and siracha in a small bowl.
Preheat the oven to 200C, oil a roasting pan. Addthe chicken in a single layer and bake for about 30 minutes, until tender, brushing every 10minutes with the baste. Serves 4-5.
BLACKBEANNOODLE BOWLWITHPRAWNS
For a vegetarian option, the prawns can be exchanged for 150g cubed tofu.
Ingredients
■ Ginger Dressing: 1 teaspoon grated root ginger
■ 2 tablespoons each: olive oil, lemon juice
■ 1 teaspoon soy sauce
■ Noodle Bowl: 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
■ 50g organic black bean noodles
■ 3 tablespoons olive oil
■ 2 cloves garlic, crushed
■ 150g raw shelled and deveined prawns, thawed
■ 12 thin slices cucumber
■ 4 cocktail tomatoes, halved
■ 1 small avocado, stoned peeled and sliced
Method
Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Addthe vegetable stock and noodles. Cook for 5-8minutes until just tender.
Meanwhile combine the olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Pat the prawns dry. Heat anon-stick frying pan onmediumhigh. Strain in the oil. Addthe prawns and pan-fry each side untilmilky and pink.
Strain the noodles and combine with a tablespoon of the ginger dressing. Place in two serving bowls.
Topwith the prawns, cucumber, tomatoes and avocado. Drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serves 2.
BERRYFOOLWITHFIG VINCOTTO
Te Mata’s Fig Vincotto (Hawke’s Bay) wona silvermedal in the 2020 Outstandingnz Food Producer Awards.
Ingredients
■ 1⁄ cup coarsely chopped walnuts 2
■ 300g raspberries or blackberries
■ 1 tablespoon honey
■ 1 cupcream
■ 2 tablespoons plain yoghurt
■ 2-3 tablespoons fig vincotto to drizzle
■ extra berries for garnishing, optional
Method
Lightly toast thewalnuts in a 180C oven or in themicrowave. Cool.
Puree the berries with the honey, until smooth. There should be about 1 cup.
Whipthe cream, until stiff. Fold in the yoghurt and walnuts. Swirl in the puree. Dollop into individual serving dishes. Chill well. Garnish with the extra berries. Serves 4-6.