Mind over Mandarin.

It’s about this time each year that many of us find ourselves elbow deep in mounds of mandarins. It’s hard not to love these petite little citrus – their easy-peel ring of moon shaped segments, bursting with sweet tangy juice that squirts in every direction and enough Vitamin C to sink a ship. However, if you have found yourself a little overwhelmed by the magnitude of your mandarin haul, here are a few ideas I have been whipping up recently to put your ‘mandys’ to good use.

No surprise that first and foremost on my mind was cake. Reverting to one of my all time favourites, the Orange Almond Cake. I came up with a plan for Mini Mandarin Ghana Cakes. These cakes are all about the dense fudgy texture and having the entire fruit in the mix (skin, pith and all) means they have just the right balance of sweet, fruity, nutty-ness.  Despite my attempt to grease them with coconut oil, the little buggers stuck like glue to the tray. I managed to save the ‘extra’ bits by using them as a sprinkle. Waste not, want not people.

The synergy between orange and chocolate, works just as well with mandarins. Melting Whittakers 72% Dark Ghana with a little coconut oil, I covered my sins with the devilish chocolate drizzle and sprinkled the crumb on top. Devoured as a brunch dessert with a dollop of honey yoghurt and a mandarin flower, all was well in the world. Delving back in the archives, I stumbled upon more of these mandarin flowers, that I had previously served with black sticky rice and coconut cream.

I even managed to match mandarins with one of my current kitchen obsessions – Tahini. Playing around with the recipe by wholefoods genius Sarah Britton, from her debut cookbook, My New Roots. Another of my culinary inspirations - Emma Galloway of My Darling Lemon Thyme, has showcased her recipe for Roasted Pumpkin on Black Rice with Tangerine Tahini Sauce on her blog here. Replacing tangerines with mandarins I whipped up this addictive concoction and served it alongside Roasted Brussel Sprouts in Avocado oil. Easy, nourishing and delicious.

As I delved further into the savoury side of things, I played around with a few takes on a Mandarin Asian Slaw. Nothing fancy, just your usual slaw suspects – red cabbage, carrot, spring onion and fresh herbs –both coriander and parsley. Shaking up a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, honey, mandarin juice, salt and pepper it brought new life to this vibrant salad. 

From here I mixed things up with whatever I had on hand - toasted sesame seeds, steamed broccoli, soba noodles, chopped spinach, chunks of baked salmon or a drizzle of tahini. The Fragrant Poached Chicken recipe from Kasey and Karena Bird's beautiful new cookbook - 'For the Love Of' goes so well with this slaw. Not only is that green spring onion sauce a revelation, their self-published book (!!!) is loaded with interesting inspiring recipes that make you want to lick the page and cook every night of the week. Do yourself a favour and go and purchase one now. 

Finally the perfect post dinner treat, to use up any of that leftover dark chocolate (if it has not yet disappeared). Simply melt the chocolate with a teaspoon of coconut oil in a small saucepan and then dip half of a single mandarin segment in the chocolate mix. Lay on greaseproof paper, sprinkle with sea salt and place in fridge til set.

Moral of the story don’t let a pile of mandarins get you down. Despite their annoying white pith, there are plenty of ways to get their juices flowing at every meal. And if in doubt, embrace their original state. Peel and consume one segment at a time. Mind over mandarin. 

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Mandarin Ghana Cake

Recipe altered from Nigella Lawson’s Clementine Cake recipe here. I opted for mini cakes so used a muffin tray – but to avoid sticking be sure to use muffin liners or just stick with the cake tin!

6 medium mandarins – boiled and blitzed

150g coconut sugar (white sugar would be fine)

250g ground almonds

6 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

150g dark chocolate – I used Whittakers 72% Dark Ghana

1 tsp coconut oil

Place mandarins in a pot, cover with water and boil, for about an hour or until soft. Leave to cool slightly. Drain and blitz in a food processor or blender until smooth.  

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line a medium sized cake tin (approx. 22cm) or 12-hole muffin tray.

Transfer mandarins into a large bowl, add all other ingredients and mix to combine. Pour mixture into the tin.

Bake cake for 40 minutes or until a cake skewer comes out clean. (20 minutes for the mini cakes).

Remove from oven and leave to cool for five minutes in tin then transfer to a wire rack.

In a small saucepan, preferably over a double boiler, melt the chocolate and the coconut oil until smooth.

Drizzle over the cake and serve with a dollop of yoghurt and a fresh mandarin flower.

X.

Welcoming Wedding Katering.

What better way to welcome the ‘Katering’ (and blogging) world back than with a wedding! Just a few weeks ago a dear friend trusted me to help feed hungry guests and create delicious memories on her special day. Honoured, a little nervous and extremely excited at the chance to attend a wedding, I put together a simple vibrant menu to be served alongside an Artisan Wood Fired Pizza Caravan!

Assembling pre-dinner cheeseboards was my first port of call. These were served on rustic wooden chopping boards, made by hand by the father of the bride. Fresh herb pesto featuring variations of basil, coriander, parsley and rocket were served in mini mason jars alongside a stunning, bright orange-hued capsicum and cashew dip. A generous dollop of creamy garlic hummus was slathered close by. All of these goodies were whipped up by the brides’ family and friends, who utilised their flourishing garden crops – making my job a breeze!

In the cheese department we opted for a Kikorangi Blue, Creamy Brie and Cumin Gouda. With the addition of fresh grapes, poached pear, quince paste, dried figs and marinated olives, they were ready to be mopped up by fresh ciabatta, wholegrain rice crackers and wafer thin crackers. As a true blue cheese lover I took far too much pleasure in portioning the giant wheel of Kikorangi and no guesses who tucked into any ‘extra’ slithers!

Salads were next on the agenda. Two varieties packed with colour, texture and plenty of wholesome vege. Putting my spiralizer to good use I transformed around forty large zucchini into a mound of zoodles/courgetti/zucchini noodles. This green noodle salad was dotted with edamame beans, cherry tomatoes, a bucket load of fresh basil leaves, roasted almonds, lemon juice and dressed in a basil garlic oil. I’m confident the return of empty bowls demonstrated salad success.

Next up was the slightly more substantial Kumara, Orange & Avocado Salad featuring a traffic light combo of colours. Roasted orange kumara, red quinoa, segmented orange, avocado, toasted sunflower seeds, fresh mint and Italian parsley all tossed together with lashings of pomegranate orange dressing. Vegan, vegetarian, diary free, gluten free but even more importantly according to grateful guests – damn delicious!

Dessert time got me barking mad…for the chocolate variety. This simple sweet treat provided a sophisticated finish to the days feasting. Using a base of the infamous Whittakers chocolate I embellished the White variety with ‘Fresh as’ freeze dried raspberries and pistachios. The creamy Five-roll Refined Milk Chocolate was topped with roasted hazelnuts, candied orange chunks and sesame seeds and the Dark Ghana Chocolate was studded with dried figs, coconut chips and roasted almonds.

Re-utilising those stunning wooden boards we finished the platters with a rainbow of melon and stone fruit featuring rock melon, watermelon, honeydew melon as well as apricots, nectarines and peaches. The quirky addition of a Donut tower, was a request from the groom. A pile of freshly baked mini donuts filled with cream and custard, was something to behold, topped off with one giant cream and jam donut perching on top.

                   

And the part you’ve all been waiting for…the CAKE! Being the incredible lady that she is, the bride had the audacity to bake her own cake. A sticky date, pecan and coffee cake at that. It was super moist, full of warming spices and begging to be wrapped in a blanket of salted caramel buttercream. Which much to my delight was my job! Beating butter, icing sugar and salted caramel to oblivion, I lathered the four-layered cake with plenty of smooth sweetness. A light sprinkle of pecans between each layer and a single bright and beautiful sunflower was all that was required. Elegant, kind-hearted and real – just like the bride!

A huge thanks to the help of my creative assistants - Charlotte (also feature photographer) and Briana. And of course to Anna for her faith in my ‘Katering’ X x

Photo credit: Charlotte Yarnton. The genius behind the lens. X

One Flourishing Feijoa Season

Flourishing and fleeting. Two words that describe the highly sort-after and short lived season of the Feijoa. You know the drill, as the autumn season approaches we are welcomed with small supermarket batches at sky high prices. But if we wait, our patience is rewarded with significant price drops or bucket–load deliveries from aunties, cousins, neighbours and friends. I'm sure all you feijoa lovers can agree, it's truly a fabulous time of year.

Birds/Bees eye view.

The ultimate feijoa connoisseur in my eyes was my Poppa Lionel. He was a great man, hardworking, humble and very resourceful. And boy did he know his feijoas. I can still picture him standing in his kitchen, peeling the skin off each individual green gem ever so carefully, with a very sharp knife, as to not waste a millimetre of that sweet, tarty goodness. Into the pot they would go, with a dash of water and brown sugar to be softened and stewed. He loved having a big dollop atop his creamy morning porridge or warmed weetbix, with an extra bowl for his grateful grand daughter.  Lionel the feijoa legend. It’s rather humbling to know that my feijoa passion is genetic.

Straight from the tree. 

In true R.T.M. fashion when there is food to be enjoyed – cake is not far from the equation. First off was a spin on a favourite recipe, using the base cake from the trusty Raspberry-Coconut Slice here. I combined fresh feijoas, roasted rhubarb, coconut, vanilla and white chocolate. A simple, moist and special cake, allowing each of the flavours to sing in harmony. I jazzed it up a little with a jug of coconut custard – using coconut milk as the base, heilala vanilla bean paste and sweetened with maple syrup. My role was to play the middle-man in this cake journey. Sent from one thoughtful Dunedin based lady to her Auckland friend! Secret squirrel cake deliveries are surely becoming a thing.

Feijoa. Rhubarb. Coconut. White Chocolate. Cake.

The next cake was crafted out of a combination of late-night boredom, leftover salted caramel and a feijoa frenzy in the fruit bowl. A fragrant cinnamon vanilla cake dotted with juicy scooped feijoa halves, drizzled with salted caramel and wrapped completely in a white chocolate and salted caramel buttercream.  I had some fun with the piping bag on this baby. And word on the street was sweet, sweet satisfaction.

A Salted Caramel Feijoa encasement.

As the months get cooler, incorporating the healthful benefits of fresh ginger becomes a priority and a pleasure. I love the spicy depth that ginger brings and how it is so versatile in both sweet and savoury dishes. I retreated to my trusty Ripe Deli bible to consult another stunning recipe – this Feijoa and Ginger Layer Cake. Using both fresh and ground ginger in the cake base it was filled with layers of ginger-stewed feijoas and a few walnuts for crunch. All brought together by a fresh ginger spiked cream cheese icing. Feijoa and Ginger are old souls and this cake provided the perfect recipe to welcome a special friend for her big city visit.

Gingery Feijoa Layers.

With all those feijoas on hand I was determined to incorporate some into a savoury dish or dinner of some sort. Success came in the way of a Grilled Salmon Fillet with a Feijoa Salsa. Combined with red onion, chopped radish, mint, lemon juice and a handful of baby spinach leaves. With two of my favourites on one plate this intriguing combination was destined for greatness and thoughtfully devoured. 

Salmon & Salsa.

With fruit bowls still overflowing these lean, mean and green feijoa-laden breakfast options were going down a treat. First, a blended 'one bowl wonder' featuring feijoas, frozen banana, spinach, celery, rocket, mint, vanilla, cinnamon, maca and coconut water topped with chia seeds and toasted hazelnuts. Phew. So refreshing, so filling and so packed full of goodness. The kind of breakfast that after consumption you feel just about as good as Lara Bingle looks. 

Lean, green & mean. 

Finally an invention test, wait for it…Green Oats! Pureed/blended spinach, water, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, honey to sweeten, oats and feijoa pulp - embraced together by boiling on the stove. Served with natural yoghurt and a few slices of fresh feijoas. Nutritious AND delicious. I empathise that the thought of ‘green porridge’ may sound horrifying to some people. But if you close your eyes I promise you won’t know any different.

 

The Green Goblin of Porridge.

So with just a trace of their existence remaining, we embrace their fleeting visit. And anticipate the fine Feijoa's return in 2015. X

Culinary Creations in Collectif Magazine.

The collaboration of young people and their creative talents is a truly glorious and wonderful thing. Some of which I have had the privilege and pleasure of being a part of. Collectif Magazine is an illustrious example of the vision and passion of aspiring creatives - an intriguing combination of Art, Fashion and Culture. Onto it's seventh issue, it has gained a strong following. With a range of contributors sharing their work throughout the newsprint pages.

Feijoa. Chia. Ginger. Pudding.

After Katering for their Issue 6 launch party late last year, Sophie Peacocke, one of the Founders and Creative Director entrusted me enough to incorporate a few recipes in this years Winter Issue. After a few days of recipe development and taste-testing (poor me!) I settled on three toothsome options.

Sneak Peak. Pg 27.

Pumpkin Citrus Fritz. 

As the article reads - Two Things Sweet and One Thing Citrus. I opted to share the Autumn/Winter joy with recipes for...

• Feijoa & Ginger Chia Seed Pudding
• Homemade Bounty Bars
• Pumpkin Miso & Zucchini Fritters w. Citrus Yoghurt Dressing

A Bounty awaits.

One sunny friday afternoon, Soph and I played around in the cute wee vintage kitchen at the back of Terrarium. Shooting and styling a few quirky snaps to bring the words and ingredients to life. With an exceptional array of antique cutlery and utensils to choose from and Soph's creative flair and talent behind the camera we captured the essence and simplicity of each dish. With a four page spread for Relish the memory, and a few too many bounty bars, I am humbled and honoured to have pitched in for this issue.

Behind the lens.

Collectif Magazine is a FREE publication that can be picked up from a range of outlets throughout NZ. Check out their Facebook page for a range of stockists, including Auckland based: Black Box Boutique, Magnation Ponsonby, Terrarium and Kokako Cafe Grey Lynn. Grab a copy of Issue No. 7, spread the word and head to Page 26 to feed your creative mind and soul.

Pick me.

And finally an end to the blog-post drought and an oath to contribute with regularity and persistence for what remains of 2014. I'll be back, very soon. x

A City and Herb so Fresh it’s MINT: Part 2.

Back again with a few more Minty Melbourne Tales. Starting with a mint-laden meal shared with a few of my faves in the funky district of Fitzroy. A casual Greek-inspired restaurant that goes by the name: Jimmy Grants. This was the perfect midweek munch, with a menu featuring souvas or souvlakis, crunchy flavoursome salads, spit-roasted meat, tasty sides and plenty of persuasive options to have you finishing up on sweet street.

Jimmy G's Sweet Spread ft. Prawn Attiki & all that Fresh Mint! 

Run by the culinary genius George Calombaris – after watching him as Judge on Australian Masterchef and his recent guest appearance on NZ Masterchef – it’s not hard to see why this food tasted awesome. With his effervescent passion for food and the young vibrant team, they run a pretty 'hip' ship both in the real world and in cyber space. With just a touch of that Greek wit managing to shine through on every plate and Instagram pic. See for yourself here - @jimmygrants

Chips & Dips. The Best kind.

As expected we ordered a little bit of everything. From the ‘Bonegilla’ Souva filled with lamb + chicken + mustard aioli + chips + onion + parsley, to the ‘Homer’ stuffed with falafels + greek yoghurt + hellenic slaw through to the ‘Patris’ (my pick) packed with prawns + attiki honey + mayo + cucumber + coriander and that wee gem herself, mint. Each was a genuinely joyous combo wrapped in a soft, pillowy yet delightfully chewy pita bread. Simple and so god dam delicious. No fancy price tag here either, each souva costs less than $9 and all were devoured within minutes.

Glory Bowls ft. Iceberg Salad & Hellenic Slaw. 

Our accompaniments went by the name of Hellenic slaw - shredded cabbage with honey & balsamic dressing, then came the classic Iceberg Salad - dressed with oregano, lemon and olive oil. Finally one (or was it two?) plates of chips, spiked with garlic oil, feta & oregano. Each dish had me licking the bowl for every last fleck of greek-greatness. Jimmy Grants was a definite highlight on the trip, so unpretentious, so affordable and so very quintessential Melbourne. A must-visit if you find yourself across the ditch.

'Jimmy's Wheel' took us to the end of Sweet Street with a Giant Peanut Butter & Raspberry Jam Mallow puff. 

My final mint memoir was the last hurrah – in the form of a cocktail enjoyed with my mother at the Melbourne airport. Not one to normally hit the cocktails, the combination of Bacardi white rum, lime, sugar syrup, soda water and fresh mint seemed to twist my arm and this refreshing bevvy went down a treat. 

Ice Cold & Mint. 

Since Melbourne, Mint has been incorporated into as many meals and dishes as possible, at any time of the day. From sweet minty morning omelettes, to flavouring salad bowls, whizzed into smoothies and freshening up my water bottle. I may or may not have gone mad about mint.

Despite a lack in mint of the fresh kind, the next destination was a must-try and one I simply had to include. A place that truly did make my Melbourne trip MINT! Gelato Messina is the godfather of all gelato. If you know your gelato – you’ll know Messina and if not, you probably should. With a few stores throughout Australia it has quickly become something of an institution and it's not hard to see why. 

One freezer of five. Mint (the Choc version) included!

Classic flavours are made fresh daily, along with a handful of weekly specials the smooth spoonfuls of heaven were knocking on the door of my life highlights. You can only imagine my face when I saw the variety on offer.  The phrase ‘I die!’ somehow felt like understatement.

Decision made. One of the best of my life.

With flavours including: The Mighty GM – Peanut Butter Gelato w/ Choco Crust, Chocolate Custard, Banana Jam & Peanut Cream, to Pretty Shady – Passionfruit Sorbet w/ Coconut Lychee & Black Sesame Praline, to Pannacotta with Fig Jam & Amaretti Biscuits. Dribbling yet? Then there’s their signature flavour range featuring: Salted Caramel & White Chocolate, Apple Pie, Chocolate Sorbet, Bounty and Baklava. We were served by a gorgeous foreign girl, who sensed our excitement and more than happily provided us with ‘testers’ of her top ten flavours. After more 'OMG YUM' moments than a girl could count , I was faced with decision time. Which flavour would make the cup?

Take Two. Lunch is served ft. Tiramisu, Pistachio & Salted Coconut & Mango.

After several minutes of deliberation I opted for three (very generous) scoops of the following: Pear & White Balsamic, Poached Figs in Masala and the stunning Salted Coconut & Mango. All three were simply incredible, so good that three more giant scoops became lunch on my final day. This second time I went a touch more traditional with Tiramisu, Pistachio and  more of that Salted Coconut & Mango glory. Take my word on it – you don’t mess with Messina. x