Tapenade by Marilena Stanton In a food processor blend: 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, 2 tbsps drained capers, 1 tablespoon seed mustard 4 cloves of crushed garlic, 6 anchovy fillets in oil, 2 tbsps of chopped fresh herbs, black pepper, juice of half a lemon and 4 tbsps olive oil. Delicious served on toasted Turkish bread. Great for an end of day snack…will last a week in the fridge.
Olives I was dining at GOMA recently and our friends ordered the marinated olives which were served warmed. We loved them – far superior warmed than straight out of the fridge chilled!! Ref: Sheryl
Guacamole Layer 1 ripe Avocado, ½ cup light cream cheese, ½ tsp taco seasoning, 1 tsp lemon juice, 2 tsp sweet chilli sauce
Use Cooking Spray on your Avocado Guacamole with tortilla chips is one of the easiest and tastiest snacks to whip up for a party. However, the avocado dip inevitably turns into a mushy brown mess in just a couple of hours meaning it’s not the most appetising of leftovers. Luckily, a nifty little hack has been discovered to prevent your guacamole turning brown and keep it looking green and delicious for at least 24 hours. Guacamole and nachos are a great party snack to serve your guests and there is now a way to keep it greener and fresher for longer. All you need is one ingredient and you probably already have it in your kitchen cupboard: Cooking spray! According to the foodie genuises, simply ‘spray the top of the dip with nonstick vegetable oil, olive oil or coconut oil spray’. Then, they add: ‘Cover the dip with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge.’ Cooking spray, which can be found in most kitchens also keeps halved avocados green. The spray creates an oxygen barrier around the mashed avocado and stops any oxidation from occurring – which is what makes it turn brown. Your guacamole should then stay fresh and green for around 24 hours. It even works on halved avocados too. Ref: www.dailymail.co.uk
Mixed Seed on buttered bread by Sheryl Backhouse Take off the crusts from light grain bread. Butter the bread. Mix together your choice from the following seeds – roasted or toasted: Pinenuts, Pumpkin, Sesame, Sunflower, then add one or more of the following bushfood: Small chunks of Macadamia, Bunya, powdered or finely crushed Lemon Myrtle. Put the nuts into a wide shallow bowl then press the buttered bread into the mix. Cut into 4. Great to have with late afternoon drinks!
Bush BBQ Lemon Pepper from Jude Mayall www.outbackchef.com.au There’s a lot of ways to use this combination, made with Lemon Myrtle from the rainforest and Pepperberries from the alpine regions. You can mix it with cream cheese and spread into celery sticks or on biscuits. Mix it with sour cream or yoghurt and put a dollop onto a baked potato or with an avocado. Mix with your favourite oil and put through a green salad. Sprinkle over roast vegetables or mix with cheese and put through your favourite pasta dish. It also works well with fish or chicken Makes a great bushfood dukkha (recipes are inside my packs).
Beetroot Dip by Marilena Stanton Preheat oven to 200°C. Bake 4 whole beetroot and garlic on a baking tray. Spray with olive oil and roast for 45 minutes, then cool. Peel the skin from the beetroot and squeeze out the flesh of the garlic. Place beetroot, 1 whole garlic, 2 tbsps lemon juice,½ tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp paprika into a food processor and whiz. Optional: ¼ tsp chilli powder. Stir in 250ml yoghurt and 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander into mixture and serve.
Asian Pesto by Marilena Stanton Vietnamese mint, Thai basil, Coriander (leaves, stem and root), Ginger grated,Garlic crushed, Lemon grass stem – centre only, finely chopped, Lime juice, Roasted unsalted cashews, Peanut oil to bind Put all ingredients in a food processor and whiz till fine. Add more peanut oil to form a pesto consistency. This recipe varies each time I make it. Really is to taste and what you have more of in terms of the herbs on the day. Serve with crackers/ toasted Turkish bread or as an accompaniment to Asian chicken dishes.
Coriander (or mint) Chutney Put all ingredients in a blender and whizz together until well blended. If it does not blend well, put in some more water rather than more oil. As an alternative, instead of coriander you can use fresh mint – and add sesame seeds and little grated ginger.1 small spring onion, 1 to 2 gloves of garlic, 1 large bunch of coriander, 30ml (2tbsp) ground almonds, 45 ml (3 tbsp) lime or lemon juice, 45 ml (3tbsp) vegetable oil, 10 ml (2tsp) sugar or honey, salt & black pepper to taste, 1 tsp desiccated coconut
Mango and Avocado Salsa In a large bowl combine 1 tbsp of olive oil, juice of one lime, 1 tbsp brown sugar and season lightly. Add 1 each of diced mango and avocado, 1 finely chopped red onion, ½ bunch of roughly chopped mint, ½ bunch of chopped coriander, 1 thinly diced red capsicum and 1 small red chilli thinly sliced. Toss briefly to combine and serve with fresh prawns. Variation on above – add Walnut Salad Dressing This recipe is for 2 Avocado and 2 Mango. Dice some bacon and cook until crisp. In a jar combine ¼ cup of olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp French mustard and1 tbsp thickened cream. Shake well to combine. Just before serving pour the dressing mixture over the platter contents. Sprinkle the crushed walnut pieces and the bacon pieces onto the avocado and mango.
Parsley Pesto by Frances Gonano I always seem to either not have enough parsley or a glut of it! Until recently my gluts usually went to waste, but this recipe is really tasty. The parsley is mixed with parmesan and nuts, spiced up with lemon and garlic. It can be served with pasta or on a baked potato, but we usually use it in sandwiches. Macadamias can be replaced by almonds, or even try a combination of both. Process 3 cups parsley leaves, half cup macadamia nuts and 3 cloves of garlic together until finely chopped. Add one third cup virgin olive oil and 1½ tbsps lemon juice slowly to the food processor as it runs. Stir in 3 tbsps parmesan cheese. Taste, then add more lemon or parmesan if preferred. Once you’ve tasted this you may like to vary it by adding other herbs.
Spiced Mixed Nuts Heat oven to 150°C. Combine ¾ cup sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Stir in 1 egg white slightly beaten with 2½ tbsps water Add 3 cups nuts – macadamia/walnut/pecan/brazil – about half at a time. Stir with a fork until the nuts are totally covered with syrup. Drain off excess and place singularly on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 45 minutes until nuts are golden and crispy. Allow to cool and then store in an airtight container.