A little nutty (roast)

Well it was certainly back to reality today, as I returned to work after an extra long weekend. Although, to be honest, aside from the 5.20am wake up call so I could hit the gym, it really wasn't that bad.

After all, the last few days were productive, without being tiring:

• The start of my MOVE it, TONE it, DRINK it challenge
• Good Friday seafood lunch
• Creating an edible cake topper
• Mountain biking and a hot cross bun experiment
• ANZAC day - and a not so traditional 'Australian' dinner
• Photo frames, landscaping and a blank canvas to work with

I decided to get my MOVE on nice and early this morning. Actually, I was feeling a little unmotivated so I knew that if I didn't MOVE early, then it probably wouldn't happen. 40 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minutes on the stationary bike later, my cardio was done for the day. And all before 7.00am yay!

My work day treated me kindly, and before I knew it, it was time to head home. And head straight into the kitchen.

See, awhile ago I saw that Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe was hosting a Neb at Nut Roast event and, having never cooked a nut roast before, I was immediately intrigued. Reading through her post, I was amazed at how many unique and wonderful nut roasts that she, and other nut roast lovers, had created.

And, being one who loves a challenge, I could not help attempting a nut roast of my own.

Turning, of course, to my trusty Mystery Box for inspiration.

Tamarind!

Did you know? Tamarind is a large fruit pod, that has a sticky brown pulp inside (often referred to as tamarind paste or concentrate). It is extremely tart and sour, and commonly used in Indian and South East Asian cooking.

With such a stellar ingredient to work with, slowly but surely my nut roast idea began to take shape. Until I had a light-bulb moment.

A Tamarind Thai Nut Roast!

Combining all the traditional Thai flavours…

 

Chilli, coriander and tamarind. Plus a few extras…

Chia seeds, brown rice, garlic and, of course, the nuts.

Bound together with 2 eggs, then divided among two small spring form pans.

And I couldn’t resist topping them with a little something extra.

Chilli jam!

Baked for 30 minutes,

Then removed from the pan and sprinkled with fresh chilli, coriander and spring onions.

Oh my – for my first ever nut roast this was quite a tasty little dish!

The tamarind added a slight tartness…

     

That worked well with the chilli and coriander.

I served each nut roast with a side of green – beans, asparagus and spinach.

Although – a tip for new players – half of this roast was more than enough for dinner. I didn't really think about how nutrient dense  it was (will all those nuts and rice!) until I was bursting at the seams half way through!

Thanks to Joanna for hosting such a fun event and introducing me to these tasty little “roasts”.  I can’t wait to try out more versions in the future.

Tamarind Thai Nut Roast (serves 4)

• 200g mixed raw nuts (walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, peanuts and almonds), processed until mostly smooth
• 1.5 cups cooked brown rice
• 1/2 tbs tamarind puree or paste
• 2 tbs chia seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Handful chopped coriander (plus extra to serve)
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbs chilli jam
• 1 spring onion, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 180C, and lightly spray two small spring form pans with olive oil spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine processed nuts, cooked rice, tamarind paste, chia seeds, garlic, coriander and half the chilli. Add eggs, and stir well to combine.
3. Press into the prepared pans. Top each with a light spread of chilli jam.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, then allow to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Slowly remove from the tin, then top each with the remaining chilli, coriander and sliced spring onions.

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Day 7 - MOVE it, TONE it, DRINK it

• MOVE it – Elliptical 40 minutes / Stationary bike 20 minutes
• TONE it – Pushups 30
• DRINK it – 2L ( I actually think being back in the office really helped with my water consumption today!)

After participating in this challenge for one week, I must say that I am loving it! Perhaps it is the organiser or record keeper in me, but having a forum in which to be accountable is proving to be quite the motivator. 7 days down, 23 to go!

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What about you? Have you cooked with tamarind? How do you like to use it? I have only really used it in curries (before tonight) – although apparently you can make it into a drink? Hmmm..I must say that I am not too sure about that one ;)

Happy Baking :)