Pomegranate and Spinach Salad

By the end of summer I am personally sick of salad.  Although I try and make salads as interesting as possible.  Some of my favourite salads would have to be Roast Pumpkin, Beetroot and Bocconcini Salad with Guiness Dressing or Roast Pumpkin Salad and of course, the Crunchy Asian Salad.  However, there comes a point where I just cannot eat salad anymore.

Saying this, you are not going to believe the salad on the plate tonight.  This would have to be the most jam packed flavoursome salad that only has 3 ingredients...... yep go figure.  Bold spinach combined with the sweetness of thinly sliced red onion.  Scattered with fresh pomegranate tendrils.

The hardest thing about making this salad is removing the tendrils from the pomegranate. The easiest way I have found is to cut the top off and make slits down the sides of the pomegranate.  Then open it like a flower, turn upside down and tap with a wooden spoon.  Here is an instructional video.  Once you have done it a few times you will have mastered the art of doing this without too much mess.

It's actually one of our daughter's favourites and takes this for lunch at school quite often.  I like it drizzled with balsamic vinegar to add another element.  In all seriousness you will love this. 

Pomegranate and Spinach Salad

Serves: 4

500 grams baby spinach leaves, rinsed and patted dry

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

tendrils of 1 pomegranate

On a large platter or bowl layer the spinach and red onion.  Toss together if you wish.

Sprinkle with pomegranate tendrils.

Serve immediately.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe).

Oven Baked Rainbow Trout with Lemon and Parsley

Christmas and New Years to our family represents seafood - whether it's shellfish, being prawns, oysters, crayfish and mussels or whole fresh fish.  This year we decided that we hadn't had a Rainbow Trout for such a long time and it was one of Grandma's favourites so we would put it on our New Year's Eve menu.  

As per usual too much food on New Years Eve or maybe it was too much Champagne and the trout actually didn't get cooked so sadly (not really) it became one of our first meals to be eaten in 2018 - such a shame!

This recipe is exactly what the name describes.  Rainbow Trout that is stuffed with Lemon and Parsley oven baked and voila it's ready.  Yep simple but so tasty!  Rainbow Trout is a fresh water fish that has an earthier taste than salt water fish.  A large percentage of Australian Rainbow Trout are farmed and readily available.  The flesh is pinkish in colour and when cooked whole with skin on it's meat tends to hold together better.

So starting with a clean and scaled fish (your fishmonger will do this for you) this recipe takes minutes to prepare.   Placing on parchment paper season fish, fill with the herbs (you can literally use any flavours you wish) wrap and bake.  We traditionally use parsley, lemon slices, salt and pepper as they are subtle and flavour the fish enough without spoiling the trout taste.

Served either hot or cold this is a really nice accompaniment to a salad or vegetables, or even just with cheese and crackers.  Today we served it with left over Bubble and Squeak and some Tuscan Pork Sausages.... 

Oven Baked Rainbow Trout with Lemon and Parsley

Serves: 4

SmartPoints Per Serve: 0

1 trout, cleaned and scaled

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley

1 lemon, sliced

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Rinse trout inside and out.  Pat try with paper towel.

Place a large piece of foil on bench.  Cover with a large sheet of parchment or baking paper.  Position fish is the centre.  

Season cavity of fish with salt and pepper.  Place parsley and lemon slices in cavity.

Wrap fish firstly in parchment paper then seal by wrapping in the foil.

Place on a baking tray and cook in oven for 30 minutes, depending on size, or until fish feels tender to touch.

Remove from oven and allow to stand, still wrapped, for 15 minutes.  Carefully remove foil and place on serving platter with or without parchment paper.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Indian Masala Paste

I have said this many times before but nothing compares to making sauces, packet mixes and pastes from scratch.  Not only are they free from all those nasty preservatives, flavourings and colourings but there is that added sense of achievement that you actually made it yourself.

To be honest, I can go months without purchasing a shop prepared bottle, can or packet mix  - I've always been a huge fan of making my own and providing healthier ingredients for the family.  Don't think I am casting judgement as at times if I am time poor I have used them I just prefer not too.

Making homemade curry pastes are particularly rewarding.  Some are complex and some are surprisingly easy.  When you achieve that authentic flavour and use it in cooking you know you are on a winner.

This curry paste, I have to say, was quite easy although there seems to be quite a list of ingredients.  The fragrance coming from the herbs that were cooked were amazing.  In fact the family thought I was cooking the curry when I made this not just the paste.

The only difference that I have noticed making this Indian Masala Paste, and with other pastes, is that it didn't have the red colour of the store purchased jar of cooking paste or simmer sauce.  That my friend has added red food dye or additives/colours to make it look appealing.  Please remember it's not about the colour (as this paste doesn't really look the best) BUT it's about the taste.

Due to the lack of all the preservatives, additives and colours homemade pastes have a much shorter shelf life than the pre-made ones.  But that's perfectly natural.  For example this recipe will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week or even better you can freeze it.  I tend to only make up small quantities just before I am about to cook the curry, sometimes a day or two ahead for the flavours to develop.  Cook as directed in the recipe you choose to follow and you will have a wonderful homemade curry completely from scratch.

I am using this paste as part of Chicken Tikka Masala.

Indian Masala Paste

(Recipe sourced from Taste.com.au)

Makes: 1 cup

SmartPoints per tablespoon: 0

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon (hot) chilli powder

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, chopped

1/4 cup malt vinegar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Place mustard seeds in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute or until seeds start to pop. Add peppercorns, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and cinnamon. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Allow to cool completely.

Place spice mixture in a food processor. Add chilli, garlic, ginger, vinegar and oil. Process until a smooth paste forms.

 Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)