Salmon & Courgette Kebabs - with Wasabi Dressing

Inspiration for a summer bbq. Perhaps a Christmassy treat! (serves approx 10)

KEBABS

800g boned and skinned salmon fillet, 3cm cubed
5 courgettes (zucchini), peeled into strips
2 lemons (to squeeze juice on when cooked, if desired)

Method:

Place cubed salmon alternately on skewers with courgette ribbons. Place on heated oiled barbecue and cook each side for approx 2 mins. The salmon should still be a little pink in the middle. (cook longer if desired)

WASABI DRESSING

2 large cloves garlic
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp prepared mustard
wasabi paste to taste
1/2 cup (in total) chopped parsley/chives/mint
1 1/2 cups soya or other vegetable oil (not olive)

Method:
Place all ingredients except oil in a blender or food processor. Slowly drizzle in the oil. Process until creamy. Serve with pickled ginger- from Asian supply stores or gourmet section of supermarkets (optional)

Soda Bread

Another recipe found while browsing the weekend papers - One I am sure Amy and Brenda will try... Recipe by Peta Mathias

Soda Bread

Peta says - "The Irish are famous for their beautiful bread and is simplicity itself to make. No fussing with esoteric things like yeast, it is based on a combination of bicarbonate of soda and an acid, usually supplied by buttermilk. I have tried making soda bread with milk or yoghurt, but it's just not the same. Buttermilk is usually found in big supermarkets and it is worth the extra effort."

2 cups plain white flour
2 cups whoemeal flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 cups of buttermilk

Preheat oven to 200C. Sift the flour, salt and soda into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon, slowly incorporate the flour into the milk to give a soft but not sticky dough.

Turn onto lightly floured board and knead lightly for one minute until smooth. Smooth and shape to a round about 5cm high. Cut a deep cross from one edge to the other and place on a floured baking tray.

Bake for 30 mins. To test if bread is cooked tap the underside of the bread which should sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack.

Sunny Salad

I got this recipe from cousin Megan who got it from an issue of Cuisine magazine back in 2002. It tastes of summer and it makes a good wrap filling too.

6 ears sweet corn, husks and silks removed

2 large tomatoes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon style mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

2 tablespoons chopped basil

1 ripe but firm avocado, peeled and stone removed

Cook corn 10-30 minutes (10 minutes if freshly-picked cobs, longer if they have been picked a day or two.)

Drain and cover loosely with kitchen paper (stops wrinkling)

When cool enough to handle, slice of the kernels

Remove cores from tomatoes, cut into quarters and flick out as many seeds as possible (PS: When Megan makes this she just uses entire tomato quartered - hates throwing out good food!) Cut the flesh into dice, put in a sieve and drain 10 minutes

Mix olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper, shallot and basil in a bowl. Stir in corn, top with tomatoes and diced avocado. Stir and serve immediately. (Megan makes hours before party, seems to work ok.)

Serves 6-8 as a salad. Enjoy!

Lamb and kumara salad

Not a family favourite, but one I spotted in the New Zealand Herald. Vic Williams is a food writer and I am always eyeing up the recipes...YUM! I gotta try it, or a variation.

Serves 4

4 lamb steaks, cut from the leg, 2-3cm thick
3-4 medium red kumara (or sweet potato for the overseas people)
1 red capsicum
2 tbsps vegetable oil
2 handfuls mixed salad greens
1 tbsp sesame paste (sometimes called sesame sauce)
3 tbsps peanut oil
2 tsps sesame seeds
2 sprigs coriander

Trim off and discard fat from the lamb steaks. Peel the kumara. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and boil the kumara until just-cooked, but still slightly firm. Put aside to reach room temperature. Meanwhile, remove the stem, white ribs and seeds from the capsicum and discard. Dice the flesh small. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan and cook the lamb steaks for 2-3 minutes per side, or until they are medium-rare, seasoning as they are turned. Put aside to rest.

Wash and dry the salad greens and pull off and discard any leggy stems. Make a dressing by stirring the sesame paste and two tablespoons of the peanut oil together with a little salt and pepper.

To assemble the dish, toss the greens with the remaining peanut oil, add salt and pepper and place on four plates. Holding a sharp, thin-bladed knife on an angle, slice the lamb steaks across the grain and drape over the top. Cut the kumara into 1/2cm discs and distribute evenly among the plates.

Scatter the diced capsicum, sesame seeds and coriander leaves over everything, with a little more salt and cracked black pepper. Drizzle with the sesame dressing and serve.