A tasty caper

This morning started as my Wednesday mornings of late normally do: alarm at 5.00am and a gym session from 5.45am.

I extended my normal "lower body" weights session just ever so slightly this morning, and boy can I feel it. During the Body Balance class afterwards my legs were shaking like crazy, resulting in some very uninspiring attempts at dancer's pose....

Well we have reached the end of the financial year which means one thing.....taxes ugh. It also means that my work decided to hold celebratory drinks when the clock hit 5.00pm.

Lucky for me, Mr BBB kindly offered to take up the Mystery Box challenge this evening so that we would have dinner on the table at a reasonable hour.

His chosen ingredient:

Capers!

Did you know?  Capers are the unripened flower buds of Capparis spinosa, a prickly plant which is native to the Mediterranean and some parts of Asia. Not only do capers add a burst of salty flavour to your cooking, they have historically been used to treat inflammatory conditions. Fresh capers are low in fat and calories, but caution should be taken if you are on a low sodium diet as they are very high in sodium.

      

I came home after the work function to a warm house and an abundance of delightful smells coming from the kitchen.

Mr BBB advised me that on the menu this evening was baked salmon with lemon caper sauce. Served with roasted potatoes, carrots and broccoli.

Oh my goodness, this was AMAZING!

The lemon caper sauce was packed full of parsley. It was buttery, lemony, and the capers really did add little bursts of saltiness. The sauce worked beautifully with the oven baked salmon (which Mr BBB had cooked to perfection), and is definitely one that I would make again.

Doesn't food just always taste that extra bit wonderful when it is cooked for you? I must invite Mr BBB to take on the Mystery Box challenge more often!

Lemon Caper Sauce

• 2tsp capers, drained and rinsed
• 4 tbs butter
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2tbs lemon juice
• 2tsp lemon zest
• 1tbs chopped parsley

1. Melt butter in pan over medium heat.
2. Add capers, garlic, juice and zest.
3. Simmer for 30 seconds.
4. Remove from heat and stir through parsley.

What about you? Do you like capers? What is your favourite way to use them?

Happy baking :)

Feeling seedy

Tonight Mr BBB and I are meeting with some friends for dinner.

So, I decided to draw out a Mystery Box ingredient this morning to see if I could work it into breakfast or lunch instead.

The chosen ingredient.....



Seeds!



Wow - this was actually a really hard ingredient to work with owing to the endless possibilities.

One of my favourite 'nibbles' to offer at parties is dukkah, although I normally buy it pre-made. Knowing that it was filled with seeds, I figured it would be perfect dish to try and re-create at home.

Did you know? Originally from Egypt, dukkah is traditionally made with chopped toasted nuts (usually hazelnuts), sesame seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds. It is normally eaten with bread dipped into olive oil and then into the dukkah.

Although the normal varieties are usually savoury, I decided to try and make a 'sweet' breakfast dukkah that I could use on my oatmeal.

Starting with almonds and cashews- mixed with honey and cinnamon and roasted for 10 minutes.

 



Followed by the seeds, which I dry fried for a few minutes....



I used sesame seeds and chia seeds.



Cooled and pulsed in the food processor all together until coarsely ground.

 

Sweet and nutty…



Sprinkled atop my bowl of steaming oatmeal for breakfast – providing the perfect crunch.

 

A seedy start to the day.



Breakfast Dukkah

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/3 cup sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 3t cinnamon
• 2T honey

1. Preheat oven to 200C and line a tray with baking paper.
2. Mix the nuts with the honey and cinnamon, and spread onto lined tray. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown (turning as required).
3. Dry-fry the seeds in a fry pan until golden (2-3 minutes).
4. Once all the ingredients have cooled, place them in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground.

This will store in an airtight container for 1 month.

What about you? Have you ever tried dukkah?

Happy baking :)

Say “cheese”!

Brrrrrr today was cold! I left the house this morning and was confronted by a foggy minus 3 and an icy windscreen.

At least the weekend was nice and sunny for the BBB Sprint Triathlon. Speaking of which, I slept ever so soundly last night and woke with a ravenous hunger for breakfast, two good indications that I had a great workout.

This evening I was super excited when this ingredient came out of the Mystery Box...

Cheese!!!!

       

Cheese is possibly one of my all time favourite foods. I can give or take chocolate or sweets, but put a cheese platter in front of me and don't expect me to share ;)

Did you know? Cheese is a good source of protein, important for growth and development. It is also rich in calcium, which helps maintain healthy bones and teeth and as well as normal nerve and muscle function.

In honour of this fine ingredient, I made the first dish that came to mind.....macaroni cheese. Veggie-fied and GF of course.

Starting with a cheese sauce…

Stirred through macaroni, olives, spinach and mushrooms.

Topped with….more cheese!

And baked for 20 minutes until golden brown.

 

Served alongside a green salad – spinach, olives, avocado mushrooms and pepitas.

All together now!

 

Macaroni cheese really is comfort food for the soul. Cheesy and oh so delicious.

Macaroni Cheese (GF) – serves 4

Ingredients

• 30g butter
• 2tbs GF flour
• 3 cups skim milk
• 1tbs dijon mustard
• 1 tbs dried parsley
• 3/4 cup grated tasty cheese
• 1/3 cup shaved parmesan
• 60g low fat feta
• 350g GF macaroni, cooked and drained
• 100g baby spinach
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives
• 100g mushrooms, sliced

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add flour, stirring for 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, add milk, mustard and parsley. Stir until smooth.
4. Return to heat and stir until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and stir through tasty and parmesan cheese.
5. Place cooked macaroni, spinach, mushrooms and olives in a bowl. Pour over cheese sauce and stir gently to combine.
6. Pour into casserole dish, and sprinkle with feta.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

What about you? What is your favourite type of cheese?

Mine would have to be feta, haloumi or goats cheese. Or maybe brie. Or edam. See I told you I was a fan!

Happy baking :)

The BBB Sprint Triathlon

Thankyou for all your comments and ideas about curing the blues! It seems I am not the only one that turns to exercise and yoga when stress starts to creep into my life.

This morning I woke up, and after being greeted with clear skies and sunshine,  I felt like working out. So work out I did.

I am MISSING the triathlon season so much, and there are no races coming up for months. So, rather than sit at home and complain about it, I decided to challenge myself to a homemade sprint triathlon of sorts!

Presenting the BBB Sprint Triathlon.

Swim

I started with a 750m swim. Although I would rather be swimming outdoors, the inevitable hypothermia that would result from an outdoor swim in winter meant that I opted to swim at our local indoor pool instead.

I completed the 750m in 17:02, changed into bike clothes and headed to the transition area….aka the carpark…

       

Ride

I jumped on my bike – and luckily for me, the ride  from the pool to home is just on 20km. This was a hard ride, lots of hills and a headwind….great combination!!

  I made it home in 53:10 – not too bad considering the hills.

Run

I jumped off the bike, changed into my sneakers (and a t-shirt!) and hit the pavement for a 5km run. Mr BBB joined me for the run and I was grateful for his company.

I did a loop around the suburb, and finished the 5km in 29:12

Overall:

• Swim 750m – 17:02
• Bike 20km – 53:10
• Run 5km – 29:12

Total time: 1:39:24

There may not have been any lakes, race bibs, real transition areas, marshals or finish lines, but I had a great time in the BBB Sprint Triathlon.

And the best part.....I came first!!!

(Hmmm or if you are a "glass half empty" person I guess I also came last.....)

After showers and lunch, Mr BBB and I headed to the local footy.

Armed with snacks, of course.

While our local team didn’t win, we had a nice relaxing afternoon and made the most of the sunny (albeit chilly) day.

We arrived home to the smells of a roast cooking in the oven. Sunday nights are family dinner night and it is nice to catch up with the family at the end of the week.

I contributed a peanut butter / oatmeal slice, made more decadent with the addition of dark chocolate chips.

I may, or may not, have snuck a slice before dinner….

Oh and a slice after dinner too ;)

Chewy and sweet….my kind of sweet treat.

What about you? What is your favourite sweet treat?

Happy Baking :)

Finding peace on the yoga mat

“Trust that you are where you need to be in this moment…”

These words rang so true for me this evening during what was possibly the greatest yoga class I have ever taken.

I don’t know whether it was the instructor, or whether I was in an open mood, but I arrived at the gym feeling “off” but left feeling oh so right.

It wasn’t that anything in particular happened to put me in an ‘off’ mood this morning, but I was feeling emotional and a little too focused on what I don’t have, rather than what I do have.

Knowing that exercise normally brings me back into the ‘light’, I tucked my yoga mat under my arm and headed to the gym.

I arrived early so hit the treadmill for a 5km run, then headed straight to the yoga room for an hour long class.

It was hard, it was hot, and it was humbling. And it was the perfect cure.

I found peace on the yoga mat.

I arrived home happy but famished and set about roasting some veggies.

Broccoli…

        

Brussel sprouts (oh I am so excited to see these back in the shops!!!!)

And of course, sweet potato…

Served all together with a little slice of veal.

It was then time for some rugby watching, with a little snack platter of course…

Strawberries, sweet potato crisps, brie and crackers.

Go Wallabies!

What about you? How do you cure the blues?

Happy Baking :)

Gotta love Fridays…

What a week it has been! I missed last night's run, but made up for it with a weights session at the gym this morning. ‘Twas a wonderful way to start the day (and end the working week!)

Work has been busy this week, and so has the Mystery Box. I just realised that I have ticked off 5 ingredients from the Mystery Box since Sunday. Did you miss them?

• Potato
• Rosemary
• Polenta
• Pinto beans
• Basil

So as to give the Mystery Box a reprieve from inspiration, and me a reprieve from cooking, Mr BBB's mum made a lovely tuna risotto for dinner this evening..

Topped with rocket and spinach.

In other exciting news, I purchased this gorgeous notebook today.

    

You see, my 'organisation' when it comes to jotting down ideas for recipes, dinner etc has been quite chaotic lately, resulting in piles of papers accumulating in my car, at work, in the kitchen, in the bedroom.....you get the idea....

So, I figured it was about time that I purchased a little notebook to keep them all in one place.

Time for some quality Friday night TV. I have a few fun things planned this weekend so stay tuned....

What about you? How do you keep track of your food, recipe, blog ideas?

Happy baking :)

Basil-licious

What a ridiculously large day it was in Australian politics today. One Prime Minister out, another one in. Whilst I am quite sceptical of the method used, we can now say that Australia has its first female Prime Minister.

I had all intentions of running after work this evening, but I got too distracted by the days events and time got away from me. Or perhaps I was just hungry and wanted to start making tonight's dinner...

The Mystery Box did not fail to inspire this evening...

     

Basil!

Did you know? Basil, while synonymous with Italian cooking, is thought to have originated in India and Persia. It is not only rich in fragrance and flavour, but also in vitamin A, magnesium and potassium. It is packed with flavonoids and beta-carotine, which can help protect against radical damage and inhibit growth of infectious bacteria.

And here I was just thinking it makes for a great pizza topper ;)

To properly honour what is one of my all time favourite herbs, a basil pesto was a must.

I recently picked up this gluten free risoni, and figured it would work wonderfully with the pesto. Veggie-fied of course, to make a healthy but hearty risoni with basil pesto and vegetables.

First, the pesto. So simple in creation yet oh so complex in flavour.

In the food processor went fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, pepitas (I was out of pine nuts) and parmesan cheese.

Processed until smooth…

Isn’t the colour just delightful???

Meanwhile I sautéed some zucchini and spinach until soft.

        

Then it was simply a matter of combining it all together: risoni, vegetables and the pesto.

Topped with pan fried tofu for protein.

Oh pesto - how you made my night (and my tummy) happy.

Not to mention a little of this tasty organic chocolate for dessert…

Chocolate and almonds really are a winning combination….

Basil Pesto

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup pepitas
• 1tbs lemon juice
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Risoni with basil pesto and vegetables (GF)

• 200g risoni (GF)
• 2 zucchinis, chopped
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 3 tbs basil pesto

1. Cook pasta according to packet directions.
2. Meanwhile, sauté zucchini and spinach in a little olive oil until soft.
3. Combine the pasta, vegetables and pesto - and serve.

What about you? What is your favourite way to use pesto?

Happy baking :)