Copa cabana on a plate

Fish, chips and salad.  Doesn't sound very blog-worthy, does it?  Okay, how about if it's fresh snapper, cumin-crusted big fat homecut chips, and a stirfried salad with so much colour it's like carneval has shimmied onto your plate?  Yeah, thought so. 

We've had this salad for the past two nights, and to be honest I'll be voting for the trifecta, 'cause it's so yum.  I think it would be awesome using any oil, but sesame is definitely the best, if you've got it.  It has a strong flavour, but doesn't overpower the veges.  Obviously, as with all salads, feel free to change certain veges, if you don't have them but have others.  Keep the colour though, it's such a good looking plate when there's more than white and green.  We had it with the beetroot one night, and without the other - you couldn't really taste the beetroot, but it did make it even more colourful, and you get the knowledge that you're eating super-high-antioxident food.  Just add it at the end, on top.  Buon appetito! 

sesame oil, to cook
capsicum
mushroom
carrot
broccoli
red onion
garlic, finely chopped
ginger, finely chopped
brasil nuts and almonds, munched up a little
fresh sage
fresh thyme
beetroot (on top)

PS: The chips were cut up nice and chunky, then tossed with oil and cumin seeds, before chucking into the oven for a half hour or so. 

Honey, I'm home!

The man of the house comes home and the little lady (in her pinnie) has dinner burbling away on the stove.  Picture perfect, right?  Well, maybe if you're watching a 1950s sitcom rerun.  However, stranger things have happened.  Last night this was the picture in our kitchen, only I wasn't wearing a pinnie, I was about to open a beer (for myself) and the dinner burbling away on the stove was pink.  Sort of alters the stereotype eh?  However, dinner's dinner and ours was tasty, pink or otherwise.  Not to mention men wear pink now, with pride, so pink food?  Meh, no problem.  It's food. 

We were having chicken breasts last night, stuffed with crème fraîche and harissa.  In the past we'd used cream cheese, but as we had the fraiche in the fridge, seemed a good idea.  And it was.  It may actually have been better then when cream cheese was used, though tough to tell without comparing contemporaneously.  Suffice to say that either will be equally tasty.  So, all that was needed was something to accompany.  Risotto.  Not a typical side dish maybe, but I felt like rice, and we had veges a plenty to go into it.  What follows is what went into the pink risotto last night, though feel free to change any of the fillings.  Obviously don't change the rice, stock etc, they're kinda key. 

1 tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

small knob ginger, finely chopped

1 and a half cups short rice (aborio)

small glass white wine

1 L vegetable stock

3 small beetroot, peeled

2 leftover sausages, sliced

good dollop basil pesto

salt and pepper

1/2 cup cheese (I used edam)

1. On high heat fry onion, garlic and ginger in the butter, until softened.  Add the rice and stir to coat.
2. Pour in the wine (feel free to use more than a small glass, I just didn't want to waste too much!), allow to evaporate.  Once the liquid is reduced pour in the prepared stock. 
3. Reduce the heat to medium now, allowing to simmer away, but not letting the liquid disappear too quickly (the rice needs time to cook, though if you do end up with insufficient liquid and still-uncooked rice, just pour in a little water). 
4. With your vegetable peeler, peel slivers of beetroot (outer skin removed) into the pan.  When you stir it the whole thing will turn a fantastic pink!  Stir through the sausages (or sliced chorizo), pesto, salt and pepper (or whatever else you wish) and cheese.  
5. This can be put aside when cooked, to be warmed through again later, if you want to get it all ready, so you can relax before dinner.