This combination of Garlic, Chilli and Dill Prawns with wholemeal flatbread crisped up in a dry frying pan was a delicious.
Quick and tasty starter or add a green salad and make it a meal!
Garlic Prawns with crispy flatbread
Orange and honey glazed salmon
My recent discovery of crispy skin pan-fried salmon, doused in a delicious sauce made with the juice of 1 orange and 2 tablespoons of good quality honey.
I got given this beautiful Iron Bark and orange blossom honey by a friend at Christmas which was perfect for my sauce!
Just put the orange juice into the pan you cook the salmon in, bring to a simmer add the honey and simmer until honey has melted into orange juice. Pop your pan fried salmo fillets back into the pan and douse with the sauce. Serve with a few extra dollops of sauce over your salmon.
Orange on orange: Looks great, tastes delicious!
Tick Tock Diner ticks the box #ticktock #diner #newyork
Of course we had to eat at an American diner while we were in New York City recently!
Tick Tock Diner in Midtown Manhattan claims to be the largest diner in New York and it certainly is very big! However the design with shared tables and traditional booths and the fact that it is full of locals (Madison Swuare Gardens and Penn Station across the road) and tourists alike at anytime of the day makes it feel much more intimate than you would expect.
The original Tick Tock opened in New Jersey in 1948 so the formula has now been extended to a number of diners in locations throughout New York and beyond..,
Serving traditional and run-of-the-mill American comfort food including Italian, Tex-Mex and Greek favourites, the huge all day menu caters to all tastes.
Service is a mixture of curt and courteous, with old school waiters in traditional diner uniforms.
Coffee is American style – percolated and poured into tin mugs with milk in plastic (!!) but all you can have.
Whilst our breakfast there wouldn’t rate as the best we had in New York it was in fact not too big and overwhelming and exceeded our expectations. On reflection it is probably better than some of the real tourist traps closer to Broadway/Times Square but not as good as some of the traditional smaller local favourites like Chelsea Square Diner on W23rd and 9th Ave.
We certainly got our diner experience just down the road from the apartment we were staying in and it set us up well for a visit to MOMA and some pre-Thanksgiving shopping in Manhattan!
Ticks every box in terms of a budget American diner brunch and experience if that’s what you might like to try!
Green and Gold Rice Pilaf #spinach #peas #beans
This combination of green vegetables and turmeric rice makes for a lovely accompaniment or as a shared dish on the dinner or lunch table. Also delicious on its own with a simple yoghurt and cucumber raita on the side. It is packed with green goodness!
It’s a great way to brighten up leftover rice and can be made with brown rice for an even healthier outcome, although it won’t look as “green and gold”.
I served it alongside orange glazed salmon which made for a delicious and healthy summer dinner.
Note that you will need to cook and preferably chill the rice overnight and also park boil/microwave the green beans before starting to put this recipe together.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups basmati rice cooked with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric , preferably chilled overnight
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion sliced into thin half moons
1 clove garlic crushed
1/2 cup of peas
1 cup baby spinach chopped
1/2 cup of green beans cut into small pieces, par boiled until just cooked
1/2 small green capsicum finely diced
1 small green chilli (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Handful of torn mint leaves (optional)
Handful of toasted pine nuts (or toasted nuts of your preference)
Method:
1. Heat oil in large non-stick frying pan, add onions and half the diced capsicum and sauté slowly until transparent and beginning to brown
2. Remove half the onions/capsicum mixture and set aside for garnish later
3. Add garlic to remaining onions in the pan and cook for 1 minute
4. Add peas and green beans and cook for 2 minutes until warmed through.
5. Add rice and chopped spinach with 1/4 cup of water and cook until rice is heated through and water has evaporated.
6. Add with remaining onions, fresh diced capsicum, pine nuts and mint leaves and mix through before serving.
Roman inspired lucky #lentils with #spinach and #pine nuts #newyearseve
I was inspired to serve my lighter version of the traditional Roman lentil stew along with roast pork and cheesy grilled broccoli for dinner last night.
It is believed the tradition of eating lentils at the stroke of midnight or serving them as a side dish began with the Roman custom of giving a leather bag of lentils with the wish they will turn into gold coins for the receiver.
My recipe is not really a stew, more like a light braise with the addition of baby spinach to add a bit of colour and extra crunch.
It was the perfect accompaniment in lieu of potatoes or other carbs and the leftovers went well with grilled sausages for lunch today too.
Ingredients:
- 1 can brown lentils
- 1 small brown onion finely diced
- 1/2 carrot finely diced
- 1-2 small sticks of celery finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced to paste
- 1-2 leaves from stalks of rosemary or thyme
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cups baby spinach roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Handful toasted pine nuts (optional)
- Handful of chopped parsley(optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Method:
1. Heat oil over medium heat
2. Add onions, carrots and celery and herbs then sauté over low heat until softened
3. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until cooked through and melded with onion mixture.
4. Drain lentils and add to onion mixture, along with the white wine and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Season with generous sprinkling of black pepper and salt to taste.
5. Simmer for 5 minutes until wine is reduced, add spinach and mix through, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Garnish with chopped parsley (optional).
6 Serve as a side alongside roast pork or with and grilled meat or fish.
Fusion flavours @ Ez Paella #New York #spanish #Venezuelan
Stopped by for a quick but delicious dinner in Hell’s Kitchen on our way uptown for a night of Jazz at Dizzy’s and the Lincoln Centre.
We were on a tight deadline so wanted something fast and filling. Reviews of Ez Paella assured us that it would fit the bill and it sure did.
The original restaurant which struggled to get going due to Covid disruptions has now found it’s feet and the owners are expanding the chain to other US cities and even Venezuela where they hail from.
It’s a vibrantly decorated restaurant adding to the buzzy buzzy atmosphere .
The menu features their famous fast Paella as well lots of interesting Venezuelan specialities.
We tried some of their tapas dishes such as anchovy tomato tostadas, and a version of Venezuelan Tequenos cheese puffs as well of course seafood Paella.
The Paella is made with Venezuelan spices and arrived as promptly as promised! Obviously this is because it is pre-made in a big batch, but it was fresh and tasty.
We were sorry to miss out on the great looking churros for dessert due to time constraints!
This was a great pre-show stop for dinner and great value for money! Ole!