Panela sugar from columbia

I'm taking a break from rapadura sugar and have been using panela in baking and also in my tea in the morning, I like it because it's a hybrid of molasses and brown sugar it's made by cooking the juice from sugar cane into a thick sticky good which is then moulded into blocks. There is so many dangers around consuming white and refined sugars, in my kitchen panela is getting a good workout. You can buy it from your organic grocer or whole foods store, it's around $4 a packet and I can imagine this will taste great with porridge in winter with fresh berries. On a food as medicine tip it's super high in minerals and is a low gi food for those with blood sugar issues.

Ten tips to get you through the in-between week

1. Eat less, yes, even the Christmas left-overs

2. Connect with friends and family

3. Drink lots of water, and if your drinking more alcohol than usual have 2 glasses water per alcoholic drink

4. Review the year, appreciate your accomplishments and focus on these for next year

5. Start the day with some spirilina in organic apple juice, mix furiously with a teaspoon or have with yogurt and fruit

6. Be grateful for what you have and keep relaxed and calm so you end the year well

7. Clear out the fridge and cupboard of expired processed and packaged foods (yikes I'm hoping you don't have any of these in the first place !) let's call them dry good's.

8. Start cooking a little more each day and be free with you improvisation of recipes, a chef whom I admire once told me you can always fix a cooking mistake just don't be afraid to try new thing's.

9. Cook with love and reckless abandonment

10. Be kind to strangers and smile at one new person as you have time this is the in-between week.

Chef goes surfing

Yeah so it is the in-between week which means working from home and playing with friends in the sea, although the weather has been so crap so I have been in a movie marathon catching up on new films and some old ones. Christmas lunch was at my aunt's and I'm not allowed to lift a finger so I have had my head in cookbooks the last 2 day's getting ready for new menu's and a cooking extravaganza. My boyfriend gave me Jamie's America cookbook for chrissie and what a treat, since my recent USA trip's and doing the food styling gig for Mad Mex, I can't get enough of this amazingly fresh and delicious cuisine so get ready for some Mexican wholefoods.
Hope your relaxing enjoying the in-between week somewhere warm or maybe in the surf like me.

Christmas sweet pumpkin pie with no crust (gluten free)

I love a good pumpkin pie even though it's more american than australian I revel in it's creaminess and spiciness, I used some spices that I smuggled back from a herbal apothecary in east village new york, the mixed pumpkin pie spice has cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and cardamom. Today cooking this in my kitchen I explored a pie with no crust, I'm not so skilled with pastry and have wheat intolerances so I opted for no crust and this is the delightful result.
It's so easy and the longest part of this recipe is roasting the pumpkin, so I painted my nails while I was waiting for the pumpkin to roast. I can imagine this doesn't need anything to go along with it just simply slice and eat.

500g butternut pumpkin, skinned and cut into small chunks
1 tablespoon sweet spices (see mix above)
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon arrowroot
3 eggs
1/2 rapadura sugar
1 tablespoon shredded coconut I use loving earth brand

Method

Lightly coat the pumpkin with extra virgin olive oil and put on a baking tray to cook for 30 minutes
In a food processor add the pumpkin, spices, sugar, coconut milk, eggs and arrowroot and pulse until blended very well.
Grease a pie dish and pour in the mixture, sprinkling some coconut on top
Bake on 160 degrees for 40 minutes

Masterchef live and otway free range pork

All last weekend I helped out with otway free range pork and cooking different products for people to try.
Here I am with damien and demo chef chris both visiting from melbourne. I missed the whole ' master chef' hype but got around to some talks by chefs and met some really cool foodies, the heart and soul of food land the makers of products and the unknowns. Nuff said. If your interested in finding out about free range piggies living in ecohuts go to otway pork It's the only pork product in australia to be certified by the RSPCA.....

Mahi mahi fish with lime, turmeric, ginger, coriander, chilli, hawaii style

I'm winding down from my Hawaiian trip as I slink back into the Sydney pace (but I'll keep my Hawaii laid back vibe!)

This is a dish I created for my new man, a dish that is sweet, salty, a touch of heat and sour from the limes, to accompany this dish was a papaya tomato and cucumber coriander salsa with lot's of fresh lime juice and also a basmati pilaf.

I picked up the fish from my local fish monger in Balgowlah and was so happy to find Mahi Mahi, it is a thick white fish but actually light when digested, it is super yummy and this recipe was designed around it.

Enjoy!


3 mahi mahi fillets (around 800grams try and get similar sized fillets)
2 limes, juiced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small red chilli
3 small slithers ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric paste ( I use pure foods a new organic spice company, it's a wet paste and turmeric is a cancer fighter and antioxidant)
1/4 bunch fresh coriander
6 baby tomatoes (these are from my garden)


Method

Lay the fish down in a baking dish and mix all the above ingredients into a marinade pouring over the top, decorate with tomatoes and coriander and bake for 30 minutes on 170 degrees cover with foil.

Sea Asparagus

I picked up some Sea Asparagus at the Honolulu farmers markets from a beautiful couple that harvest this interesting product in Kahuku, the texture is crunchy twig like, the taste salty and clean nothing quite like I have tasted. It's also know as Sea beans, Samphire and Glasswort.

Described on there information fact sheet as a exotic gourmet vegetable with ocean taste and refreshing crunchy texture,(similar to the way I described it) the food as medicine benefits are remarkable it protects the liver, increases healthy mood, enhances stamina and reduces cancer.

Also rich in vitamin A, iron, sodium and calcium.

All I can say is yum yum, I ate it with a cold soba noodle salad from the ramen diner up the road and it was delicious.

Honolulu farmers markets

I have been visiting Hawaii for the last week, I'm in love with this place, the people, it's spirit, the cool asian fusion food and the fresh organic produce from the farmers markets up at Diamond Head every saturday. I went crazy taking photo's and trying some culinary delights. The highlight been a pesto, roma tomato pizza, the line was long but it was worth it every bite was an explosion of farm fresh ingredients and homemade wholemeal pizza dough.