STEAMOVENCOOKING with Tenina

Yes, another BBQ posting…all due to my class participants from late June (who FYI are very silent in the comment department…c’mon guys) and of course a little hangover from a month of summer in the States…they are ‘grilling’ mad, especially around July 4th…so in honor of that…here we are…Grilled (or BBQ-ed) veggie salad. Great with ribs, steak, snaggers, or salmon…all on the outdoor grill!
This is so simple and looks stunning, despite the photo telling you otherwise! It is also totally dee-lish…and you will be making it as a BBQ staple all summer long.
NEED:
1 eggplant
1 each red, green, yellow capsicum
1 zuchinni
1/2 butternut pumpkin
rocket as required
200 grams feta
1 recipe Pesto
zest and juice of 1 lemon
extra virgin Olive oil and salt to taste
DO:
Prepare all vegetables by peeling, slicing and salting eggplant and zuchinni.
Char grill capsicums in Microwave Grill on Grill function for about 10-15 minutes until skin is blackened.
Place in plastic bag and cool until you are able to peel easily.
Slice pumpkin and brush with olive oil.
Rinse off eggplant and zuchinni and pat dry with paper towel.
Fire up the Cross Fire. Allow it to reach 200 degrees celcius.
Place all veggies except capsicum on grill plate and cook, turning as necessary.
This will only take a few minutes each side.
Meanwhile, prepare pesto dressing by adding lemon zest, juice and olive oil to Pesto to thin it to a runny consistency.
Arrange rocket on serving platter, tear peeled capsicum into strips and place on top.
Place other veggies on as well as feta.
Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.

I realise this is more of a suggestion than a recipe, and it certainly isn’t original in that I’ve eaten it or something akin to it before, but for all you desperados out there who occasionally need a sweet fix FAST, this is the page to bookmark! It is ideal as a school lunchbox snack (unless you are at one of those no treat schools) and if you are in a hurry to produce a slice that looks homemade; this is the one…so pay attention! My tweaked version of Mars Bar Slice. Enjoy your diabetic coma!
NEED:
3 Mars Bars (full size)
1 Boost Bar (or a 4th Mars Bar)
75 grams butter
3 cups Coco Pops
1/2 - full cup dessicated coconut
1 cup choc melts
4 tablespoons thickened cream

DO:
Put all candy bars in large glass bowl with butter.
Melt in Microwave/Grill on Microwave Function for 2 minutes.
Add Coco Pops, and stir vigorously, adding coconut to taste.
The mix should be very thick, if not add more coconut.
Push into square (9 inch) pan, working with damp fingers to smooth top.
Refrigerate until set.
Meanwhile melt chocolate with cream on Induction 2.
Spread over top of slice and set.
Remove from pan in one piece and cut into pieces.

So as you can see, a no brainer, no hassle, about 5 minutes total, easy to store, easy to eat ’slice’….not as creative as my usual entries I know, but everyone has their off days!

In doing a few Microwave Grill lessons lately, I realised there is not much up here for the Microwave, so I thought I would quickly put this on at least! Nothing so fast as a fudge in 3 minutes! The photo is average, but the fudge is not! I will re-post a better photo when I remake this decadent treat! Seriously! Make and enjoy…and then comment…or send me a photo! Come on my adoring public, I know you’re out there! The stats don’t lie! Send me a message!

NEED:

1 pkg Nestle dark melts (or 375 grms)

1 can condensed milk

2 tablespoons butter

generous splash of real vanilla

toasted nuts of choice

DO:

Toast nuts in hot oven…do not burn!

Place into 9 inch square tray.

Place butter, chocolate and milk into medium bowl.

Cook for 3 minutes on Microwave setting.

Using electric mixer, beat until color lightens.

Add vanilla and beat until the mix stiffens.

Pour over nuts.

Refrigerate. Slice into squares with hot knife.

Try eating just one piece…go on!

USED:

NEED:
1 fillet of Tasmanian salmon per person
Marinade:
1 cup white wine
juice and zest of 2 oranges
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Relish:
1/2 red onion
1 red capsicum
1/2 cup chopped coriander
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
3 oranges
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Lake or sea salt to taste
chilli paste to taste
DO:
Make marinade in flat dish.
Lay fillets in shallow dishcover and marinate for up to 2 hours.
Make relish in glass bowl that has lid for storage. (You should not use a metal bowl to prep this relish.) Thinly slice onion and capsicum.
Add all other ingredients and then segment oranges over bowl
so that all juice is in bowl. Mix thoroughly.
Cover and chill for up to 2 hours.
Drain marinade into saucepan.
Microwave/Grill fish fillets, skin side up for 9 minutes.
(If you are only doing 1 or 2 fillets, this time will be less)
Thicken marinade by adding a little cornflour and cooking briefly on Induction.
SERVE:
Lay fish fillet on a bed of steamed rice.
Drizzle with thickened marinade.
Pile relish on top of fish.
Serve immediately.

This recipe is so beautiful to look at that I always recommend it as a part of a dinner party menu. Make sure you use a good variety of colors in your veggie choice and you can’t go wrong…and as for flavour! Well, it goes without saying, this is DIVINE! You can serve individually or use a beautiful platter of your choice, here is one I loved!

 NEED:
2 red onions peeled and cut in wedges
4-6 tomatoes halved (work on ½ tomato per person)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 red capsicums
2 zuchinni cut lengthways in ribbons with a potato peeler
4-6 flat mushrooms (or 1 per person)

TO SERVE:
Basil oil and Feta and Rosemary Polenta wedges

DO:
Heat oven to 160 degrees.
Line tray with baking paper, spread onions and tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil.
Turn to coat and season with salt and pepper.
Roast approx 1 hour. Add mushrooms and roast a further 20 minutes.
Meanwhile roast capsicums whole on oven shelf.
Remove when skin is blackened and place in paper bag until cool.
Peel skin, remove seeds and cut into pieces. Set aside.
Heat oiled grill plate over medium heat and brown polenta wedges, and zucchini ribbons on both sides.
Add capsicums to grill just to warm through.
Assemble by putting piece of polenta on each plate, topping with array of vegetables and drizzling with basil oil.

BASIL OIL:
Process 1 large handful of basil oil in food processor and with motor running. Add extra virgin olive oil in thin stream until blended.
The oil should have a runny consistency.
Add pinch of salt and pepper, or squeeze of lemon and zest  if desired.

FETA, ROSEMARY POLENTA WEDGES

NEED:
6 cups water
Salt and pepper
2 cups instant polenta
1 tbspn butter
¾ cup crumbled feta
½ teaspn ground nutmeg
1 tspn finely chopped rosemary

DO:
Bring water, salt and pepper to boil.
Add polenta in thin stream as you stir.
Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in feta, nutmeg and rosemary until evenly combined.
Spread cooked mixture in a shallow oiled dish to form a 3 cm thick slab.
At serving time, cut into wedges and grill or pan fry.
Polenta is quite tasteless, so make sure you are generous with the flavoring of choice.
You can add any cheese, herbs of your choosing.

This is not so much a recipe as instructions requested again and again by my clients. Enjoy!

NEED:
pork rolled roast
boiling water
apple cider vinegar
coarse sea salt

DO:
Rinse pork roast.
Make sure rind is scored well. (You can ask your butcher to do this.)
Pour boiling water over, pat dry.
(This should lift the rind off the meat and help it to crisp.)
Rub salt to taste into the rind and scoring.
Drizzle with cider vinegar and rub in.
Add more salt and rub again.
Put in MW and select rolled roast function.
Cook as needed according to weight.
Serve with Harvest salad and roast potatoes.

NEED:
1/4 cup light soy sauce
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
Salt to taste
2 salmon fillets
1 tabspn hoisin sauce
DO:
Combine , soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, hoisin, pepper, ginger and salt.
Add salmon fillets and marinate for 1 hour.
Place the fish fillets in steaming pan, skin side down. Steam for 10 minutes.

OR: Microwave Grill skin side up for approx 5 minutes.
Pour remaining marinade in a saucepan, bring to a boil and reduce.
Place fillets on a serving platter and pour reduced marinade over the top.
Garnish with fresh steamed asparagus and lemon slices.
Recipe may also be used for salmon steaks.
This recipe can be increased easily to accomodate more than 2 servings.

NEED:
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 spring onions finley sliced
2 cloves garlic chopped
500 grams mixed mushrooms of your choice, diced
100 ml white wine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
75 gram reduced fat feta crumbled
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs of choice (suggest rosemary, oregano or basil)
8 sheets filo pastry
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil spray
clean tea towel

DO:
Heat oil in frying pan on induction 6.
Add onions and garlic.
Cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent.
Add mushrooms. Cook stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes until juices evaporate.
Stir in wine and lemon juice, cool.
Line a baking tray that will fit in the MW with baking paper.
Stir cheese and herbs into mushroom mixture.
Lay 2 sheets filo pastry on clean dampened tea towel.
Lightly spray with olive oil and season with black pepper.
Place two more sheets on top.
Place half mushroom mix along the long end leaving a 3 cm border at each end.
Fold in ends. Roll up tightly. Place seam down on prepared tray.
Repeat with remaining filo to make a second strudel.
Using sharp knife make slashes along the top.
Bake on pastry setting in MW for 4 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned and crispy.
Cut strudels where marked and serve with steamed veggies.

This is lovely served with a roast pork. The pears replace the need for apple sauce!

NEED:

4 large beetroot peeled and quartered
3 large spanish onions peeled and cut into 8 wedges
3 large pears, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
1/4 butternut pumpkin cut into even cubes matching the size of the beetroot (optional)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tabspn brown sugar
2 tabspn balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4-6 handfuls mixed salad leaves
1 cup pecans or walnuts
½ wheel of triple cream brie

DO:

Preheat oven to 220oC.
Place cut up beetroot and onions in shallow roasting dish.
In separate dish place pears. Divide sugar, vinegar and oil evenly
between the dishes and mix through.
Bake for 1 & ½ hours until vegetables are tender and all liquid
has evaporated.

(You can try roasting the veggies in the Microwave Grill. They will take a lot less time, but the caramelization may happen quicker as well, so it is a good idea to leave them OFF the rack when grilling.)

Cool seperately.
Assemble salad by tossing dressing through greens.
Add beets, onions, pears, sliced cheese and nuts and mix through.
Drizzle with dressing.

DRESSING:

1 tabspn pesto
juice and zest I lemon
3 tabspns olive oil. Mix together.

NEED:
1 egg white
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
500 grams lean minced beef
1 &1/2 teaspoons of chilli flakes

1-1/2 cups orange juice
3 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons cornflour
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 medium red and/or green sweet pepper, cut into 1″ pieces

DO:
In a Thermomix bowl combine egg white, bread crumbs, five-spice powder,
and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Process on Speed 5 until just combined.
Add beef; and pulse until mixed.
Shape into 48 1″ meatballs.
Place in steam tray. Process in steam oven for 25 minutes.
Grill under Microwave-grill for 10 minutes or until toasted and brown.
(If you want the brown look)
Meanwhile, insert butterfly into unwashed Thermomix bowl, stir together chilli flakes,
orange juice, honey, cornstarch, soy sauce, and ginger on Speed 4, Heat 80 degrees.
Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. (Approx 8 minutes.)
Add sweet pepper and meatballs to bowl;
Cook on Heat 80 degrees until fully heated through.
Makes Approximately 48 appetizer-size meatballs.

SERVE: To make these a meal, serve with steamed rice, otherwise serve with toothpicks as an appetiser.