Moroccan Carrot & Orange Salad

For afternoon tea I took myself to the backyard to watch the Rosellas, Lorikeets and Bower Birds. It was lovely. I decided to make something special for my break. Moroccan Carrot & Orange Salad. I really enjoyed the citric and cinnamon combination mixed in with the crunch of pine nuts. So many textures! The dressing is to die for over the carrots. Next time I will be more heavy handed with the dressing I think :) I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.  Photos to come once I find my camera cord.

Moroccan Carrot & Orange Salad

Prep Time: 5 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

450g carrots, peeled

2 large oranges peeled and cut into segments (reserve any spare juice)

1/3 cup rasins/sultanas 

1 tsp grounded cinnamon

2 tsp roasted pine nuts

Dressing- 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, pinch of sugar

Method

1. Grate carrots into serving bowl

2.Combine oil, lemon juice, sugar and any spare orange juice in a separate bowl.

3. Toss orange segments with carrots and stir in the raisins and cinnamon.  

4. Pour over dressing and scatter pine nuts just before serving.

Strawberry Pie, so simple!

I adore strawberries! Punnets, punnets and punnets of strawberries. In QLD at the moment they are in season and smelling amazing. I have had 4 punnets in the fridge ALL day and not had a single one. I wanted to save them for a Strawberry Pie. This recipe was nothing like what I was expecting, but it is so simple and amazing. Plus, I made sure I had extra strawberry and warm syrup left over so I could have half a bowl of the mixture warmed. YUMMY! 

Soak your strawberries

If you love strawberries have a go because this is such a refreshing dessert. I received this recipe from a partner in a swap on Swapbot. She also sent me a surprising hint when using strawberries in cooking. You need to soak your strawberries for at least an hour before use in cooking. I usually just wash it under the tap and then go but, it makes a different to the flavour. The strawberries absorb some moisture and it throughly cleans them. I will be doing this from now on.

Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

Baked and cooled sweet pie crust (you can make your own or buy pre done)

3 punnets strawberry

1 cup of water

1 cup of of sugar

2 tbsp of cornflour

1/3 cup strawberry jelly crystals  (jello)

Methods:

1. Ensure you cook your sweet pie crust so it is browned. Set aside to cool.

2. Slice strawberries (you can use whole if you wish but I find more flavour when sliced) and set aside.

3. Mix sugar and cornstarch.

4. Place water in sauce pan and begin to heat. Add sugar/cornflour mixture until softly boiled. It will start off cloudy and then become clearer consistency.

5. Once clearer stir through jelly crystals (jello) until all dissolved. Take off stove top and cool. 

6. Place strawberries into pie crust.

7. Pour over jelly mixture and place in fridge overnight. 

8. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. So glossy.

Baked Banana Dessert/Arvo Snack

Okay, I have to admit I LOVE sweet things but, I also need balance. So I am attempting to change my approach to cooking and in particular dessert. I adore chocolate, ice cream, cake and every other 'bad' kind of dessert. So instead of chowing down on these things I am trying to adjust. Though this particular dessert is not 'healthy' it is a better option. I present to you the simple Baked Banana.

Baked Honey Banana

Ingredients
- 2 bananas
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp of butter
- 3/4 cup of mixed nuts

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180⁰C.
2. Peel and halve bananas, place onto baking tray.

3. Combine honey and butter, drizzle over banana. Place in oven for 10 mins.
4. Take out of oven, place onto serving plate. Sprinkle with nuts.

Optional: Serve with vanilla ice cream or sorbet.

Lime, Lime, Lime, Chilli!

I have absolutely fallen head over heels for this chicken marinade. I love it! It is so simple to make and it is good for diabetics and those with cholesterol. Tick, tick and yummy. I got this recipe from a good friend who picked it up from a Women's Weekly Cookbook ages ago (maybe 20 years or more). The name she gave it for me was Grilled Chicken in Lime Chilli Marinade. I serve it with a nice crisp salad.

Prep Time: 10 mins, then need to marinade (I recommend over night but a few hours is also good)
Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:
-4 skinless chicken breast
-cooking oil spray
-2 tbsp coriander, chopped
Marinade
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp low salt soy sauce
- 1 sml fresh red chilli, chopped finely
- 2 spring onions chopped

Method:
1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir, set to one side
2. Pound chicken with a mallet to an even thickness. Combine chicken and marinade and refrigerate overnight or for several hours.
3. Drain chicken, heat bbq grill or pan, coat with cooking oil, add chicken and cook on both sides until brown and tender.
4. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with lime wedges.

I normally keep some of the marinade and pour over while cooking. Also, if serving for someone who is diabetic I would normally provide a carb of some sort with the salad. I actually want to try it on my kebabs next time instead of the Honey Soy I usually do.