Mushroom Stroganoff

As long as you like mushrooms, this really is one of the simplest and tastiest vegetarian main courses you can make. Due to the meatiness of the mushrooms and richness of flavors, even my carnivore friends don’t miss the meat! 

Delicious shitake and common mushrooms.

It is a great way to turn a few simple ingredients that most of us have in the fridge into something delicious and amazing in a matter of minutes. Even when mushrooms are slightly sorry looking they can be turned into a mean stroganoff!

My mum taught me as a teenager how to make a simple mushroom stroganoff and over the years I’ve tried a few other recipes, this is the best elements of each combined with a few of my own additions too. Instead of using single cream as my mum’s recipe did, I use a low fat sour cream which gives a lovely tang and creaminess to the sauce without the guilt. 

Turn these simple ingredients into a fabulous veggie meal.

You can use any mushrooms that you like, as long as they are fresh rather than tinned. I like to use a combination to give depth of flavor, though even using one type makes for a tasty dish. I opted this time for my favorite mix of shitake and white/common mushrooms, but sometimes I’ll add some oyster, chantarelle or portobello mushrooms if I have them in the fridge. Experiment and see which you like best, you will not be disappointed.

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium white onion, finely sliced

1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1tsp paprika

300-400g of sliced mushrooms (I used a mixture of shitake and common mushrooms)

150ml vegetable stock (I used a stock cube to make it)

1tsp Dijon mustard

1tsp tomato sauce or tomato puree

3tbsp sour cream or low fat sour cream

A few sprigs of fresh thyme (remove leaves to use from stems) or chopped parsley if you prefer

Seasoning

Steamed white rice

 

Mushrooms, and onion and thyme.

Time to get cooking!

Method

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion for a few minutes on quite a high heat so that they soften and color slightly, stirring often. Add the garlic and paprika and cook for another minute, stirring often. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes on a medium to high heat, stirring often.

Mushrooms added to the pan.

Add the vegetable stock, mustard and tomato sauce and stir. Let this bubble away for 5 minutes at a medium heat, stirring quite often. The stock will thicken to a sauce. 

Mushrooms cooking in the bubbling sauce.

Turn off the heat and add the thyme and sour cream and stir so that it all combines and the sauce becomes creamy and brown. Season to taste (I personally don’t add salt and add just freshly ground black pepper but you can add a little salt if you like). 

Sour cream added to the sauce.

The finished mushroom stroganoff ready to be served.

Serve over steamed white rice or pasta or a baked potato. 

Mushroom stroganoff served with steamed white rice.

Enjoy.

Bran collection: Tropical muffins with mango, banana, coconut and bran

After the success of my apricot, almond, bran and raisin loaf (see post 3^rd July 2013), I thought I

should come up with another recipe using All Bran. My husband and I had both loved having a

bran fix at the start of the day, and it really did fill us up until lunch, so I came up with a tropical muffin recipe that is great for breakfast, a coffee or tea break or for an afternoon treat.

Tropical bran muffins cooling.

I chose mango, banana and coconut as all these fruits remind me of exotic and tropical destinations like Bali and they are favorites in my household. You can always substitute the mango or coconut for alternatives that you prefer, though believe me this combination really works. I would keep the banana in the recipe as this gives a beautiful sweetness and aroma to the muffins, like you find in banana bread.

These muffins are light, tasty and smell like holidays :)

Once again they are super easy to make, so even if you are not much of a baker give them a go.

Ingredients (yields 12 medium muffins)

¾ cup plain flour

½ cup wholewheat flour

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 ¼ cups mashed fully ripe bananas (about 3 medium), some lumps are fine

1 cup All Bran cereal

1/3 cup of coconut cream or milk

1tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup of vegetable oil or coconut oil

1 egg

1/2 cup chopped dried mango

¼ cup chopped dried coconut or desiccated coconut

Don't overly mash the bananas as it is nice to come across chunks of it in the muffins.

Method

1. Combine in a bowl the plain and wholemeal flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt and set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine the mashed bananas, All Bran, coconut cream or milk, and vanilla extract. Let this sit for about 5 minutes so the cereal softens. Then add the oil, egg and dried mango and coconut and beat well. Then add the flour mixture and stir just enough to combine.

Mashed bananas combined with All Bran, coconut cream and vanilla extract.

To the previous banana mixture add the fruit, oil and an agg.

3. Portion the batter into medium silicone muffin molds or into a greased muffin pan. I use 12 medium muffin molds (cupcake molds).

4. Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. You can insert a wooden toothpick into the centre of a muffin and if it comes out clean they are done.

Muffins baking in my tiny oven. The smell was amazing!

5. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan or molds.

I found it very hard to wait for them to cool before greedily pigging out on a couple!



A quick favorite breakfast muffin in my house!

If you are anything like me you won’t be able to wait until breakfast to eat one! Pair them with one of my Happy Juices for a delicious and nutritious start to your day!

Bran collection: Apricot, almond, bran and raisin loaf

I decided to bake this loaf in celebration of the fact that Kellogg’s now sells All Bran here in Indonesia after 8 years of me living here! I know everyone isn’t a huge fan of this cereal but my dad usually had it for breakfast in the mornings when I was growing up so there was always a box of it in the cupboard. I don’t think I was especially a huge fan of it to start, but over the years I began to enjoy it. I liked to pour the milk over it and let the cereal soften for a minute of two and add a spoonful of raisins before shoveling it down my throat usually seconds before running out the door to school or years later work! Every now and again I used it in baking too, trying out the recipes that would sometimes appear on the side of the cereal box.

Who wouldn't want a slice or two of this delicious loaf at breakfast?

A bowl of All Bran and milk even features in the recipe!

On moving to Indonesia very few of the healthier breakfast cereals I enjoyed were actually available. It wasn’t a huge deal as I’m very fussy about the milk I like (I’m not a big dairy fan full-stop, but am especially fussy about milk!) and it was years before I found one here I enjoyed enough to even think about having over a bowl of cereal! As the years passed I found a milk I could tolerate in a bowl of Weetabix or muesli and gradually more and more cereals have become available too. I really started to miss All Bran and friends have even brought me a small box from abroad a few times when visiting me so when I found it for sale here in Bali I was elated! It really is the little things that make me happy! Haha. I was not only looking forward to the occasional bowl of All Bran at breakfast, but I thought it would be great to start using it in baking again as we all know how important it is to get your bran fix.



A slice or two of this will keep you going until lunch!

I decided my first recipe would be a loaf and the recipe I came up with featuring dried apricots, almonds and raisins with the All Bran was delicious. It is fantastic at any time of day but my husband and I especially enjoyed a slice or two of it at breakfast time, warmed for a few seconds with butter, or jam or honey spread on it. It is lovely and moist so great by itself too. Due to it being quite dense (because of the bran content), we were slicing it quite thinly so the loaf lasted the two of us the best part of a week in the fridge.

Even if you are not a fan of All Bran as a breakfast cereal, do try this recipe as it tastes very different mixed with all the other ingredients. It really is a delicious breakfast loaf recipe so that you start your day off the right way with something good that will fill you up and release energy slowly until lunch. It is perfect for an afternoon tea or coffee break too. So give it a go. You won’t regret it and it is super easy to make.

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups of plain flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup of almond slivers

1 ½ cups of All-Bran cereal

1 ¼ cups of low-fat milk

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

½ cup finely chopped dried or semi-dried apricots

½ cup raisins



Flour, sugar, almond slithers, baking powder and salt.



Apricots and raisins keep this loaf nice and moist.

Method

1. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and almonds and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl mix together the cereal and milk and let stand for five minutes so that the cereal can soften.

3. Stir in the egg and the oil to the cereal and milk mixture and beat well. Add the flour mixture and the apricots and raisins. Stir until combined just.

Beat the egg and oil into the cereal and milk mixture.

4. Pour the batter into a greased loaf tin or a loaf silicone mold. My silicone mold is about 9 x 5 inches.

The batter poured into my silicone loaf mold.

5. Bake at 180C in a pre-heated oven for about 60 mins or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. I covered the mold with tin foil for the first 40 mins so the tope didn’t burn and then uncovered it for the final 20mins. 

The finished loaf ready for slicing!

6. Let cool for 10 mins before removing from the tin or mold. Keeps for about a week. I kept mine in the fridge and cut off a few slices each morning, warmed them up and enjoyed them with either butter, or honey or jam spread on them! I got approximately 15 slices from this one loaf.

A breakfast favorite in my house!

Bake, slice, enjoy!

Going crazy for coconut water

So it seems coconut water isn’t only popular here in South East Asia, over the last couple of years we have seen a real craze for this refreshing drink all around the world. No longer is it just a decorative drink to sip on a tropical beach vacation, it has fast become the go-to rehydration drink for gym fanatics the world over. And who can blame them? I know I’m a huge fan of this nourishing natural drink.

A small hole made just big enough to put a straw into to enjoy the coconut water within.

Not to be confused with coconut milk or cream, which are products made from the meat of the coconut, coconut water is found in young, green coconuts (typically harvested between 5-7 months of age). Each nut contains between 200-1000ml of liquid. In contrast to the milk and cream, it is a clear, sweet liquid with a slightly nutty taste. You can literally pick one of these young, green coconuts, break it open and sip away. It really is one of nature’s most refreshing drinks.

Young coconuts in Bali ready to be harvested.

Demand for coconut water has sky-rocketed in recent years, but why has it become so popular? Perhaps because of its nutritious and health-benefiting properties. This clear liquid contains a unique combination of sugar, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes that replenish hydration levels within the body. It is low in calories, naturally fat and cholesterol free and contains more potassium than four bananas! No wonder it is being marketed as a natural energy or sports drink. Though it is mostly popular for its hydrating properties, it can help with a whole host of conditions from hangovers to kidney stones!

A refreshing glass of coconut water.

Coconut water has long been a popular drink here in Bali and in other parts of the tropics. It is widely available from street and beach vendors who cut the coconuts in front of the customers to ensure the freshness of the coconut water. Some people enjoy simply drinking the water through a straw from the inside of the young coconut, while those in the know squeeze some lime into the water before drinking, then use a spoon to scrape out some of the young coconut flesh to eat. This is a must try the next time you find yourself on an exotic beach on your holidays!

A coconut freshly cut open by a street vendor.

I often visit my local street vendor and buy a bag of coconut water to take away on my way home from the gym or a yoga class to try and replenish some of the liquids my body has lost having sweated out lots of fluids and electrolytes in the tropical heat here. “A bag of coconut water?” I hear you ask! Yes that’s right. My local vendor cuts open the coconut and pours the coconut water into a small plastic bag for me, he then ties it with a knot so I can take it home and pour into a glass. Mush easier than having to carry the whole, heavy coconut home!

Young Thai coconuts.

Also for sale from the coconut street vendors here in Bali is the ever popular “es kelapa muda” (iced young coconut). This is one of my favorite refreshing treats and I actually crave it at certain times of the month. It consists of coconut water, shredded young coconut flesh, sugar syrup, lime juice and ice. You drink the sweet iced liquid and use a spoon to eat the coconut flesh. This is certainly not fat-free, but a delicious sweet treat nonetheless and something else to try if you come to Bali for a holiday. From the street vendors it only costs a few thousand rupiah (less than a dollar) and is well worth it to help you cool down in the heat here. And remember that coconuts contain good fat so you don’t need to feel too guilty about eating the flesh of the young coconut!

Delicious "es kelapa muda", a favorite Indonesian treat.

Now coconut water is widely available all around the world so look out for it in your local supermarket. Conveniently packaged in cartons or bottles, it is often found next to the sports and rehydration isotonic drinks. Though no one can deny the importance of drinking plenty of plain drinking water every day, I would definitely suggest trying nature’s own sports rehydration drink rather than the other sports drinks on offer.

Conveniently packaged coconut water aimed at gym enthusiasts.

Next time you enjoy a carton of coconut water after your work out you can close your eyes and imagine for a moment that you are on a tropical beach somewhere! Everyone can dream right?!

Zucchini pesto, feta and antipasto pepper puff pastry parcels

So after the success of my roasted sunflower and red pepper pesto the other week I thought I’d try a zucchini version. I really enjoy zucchini lightly fried, roasted, in soups, salads and pasta bakes and so I was interested to see how it would turn out as the base for a pesto. 

The main ingredient in the pesto!

Most pestos feature quite bold flavors as their main ingredient such as basil, sun-dried tomatoes, chili or peppers. Zucchini has a much more subtle flavor due to the amount of flesh, so the result of course was a pesto with a much milder flavor than most. I thought the flavor was too subtle to have with pasta alone but I have found several ways to enjoy this light fluffy pesto. 

Light, fluffy and delicious zucchini pesto.

I used it as the sauce in a pasta bake with grilled Mediterranean vegetables with breadcrumbs and grated cheese on the top. It was delicious and a fantastic alternative to the creamy cheesy or tomato sauces we usually use in pasta bakes. I also used it to fill puff pastry parcels with antipasto peppers, basil leaves and feta. They were so light and tasty I thought I’d share the recipe.

Zucchini pesto, feta and antipasto pepper puff pastry parcel

 

Ingredients for the pesto

2 zucchinis cut into chunks

2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half

Olive oil

Seasoning

1 cup of basil

75g sunflower seeds

¾ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

Ingredients for the pesto

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180. In a roasting dish place the zucchini and garlic. Season and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the oven for 20 minutes to roast then remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Zucchini and garlic ready to roast

Roasted zucchini and garlic

In a blender place the basil leaves, sunflower seeds and cheese and 1/3 cup of olive oil. Blend. Then add the cooled zucchini and garlic and season generously and blend again to a smooth paste.

Blended basil, sunflower seeds, olive oil and cheese

Pesto base with zucchinis added

Ingredients for the Zucchini pesto, feta and antipasto pepper puff pastry parcels

2-3 tbsp of pesto per parcel

1 tbsp of antipasto peppers per parcel

1 tbsp crumbled feta cheese per parcel

2 basil leaves per parcel

Seasoning

Sheets of frozen puff pastry

Assembling the parcels

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180. Dust some flower on your work surface and place the puff pastry on top. Allow to thaw enough to be malleable. Cut the puff pastry into whatever shape you like to make parcels. I cut a large triangle that I can fold over to make a smaller triangle parcel.

Spread some zucchini pesto on the puff pastry, top with the antipasto peppers and feta cheese and season. Place a couple of basil leaves on top and fold the puff pastry over to cover the filling. I use a fork on the edges of the pastry to crimp the two layers together. Place on a lightly oiled or non-stick baking tray and bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes. Take it out when the puff pastry has started to rise and is golden brown. Easy!

Ready to go in the oven

Golden brown out of the oven

Delicious served with a salad

 Serve with veggies or a salad of your choice. Enjoy!