Jimmy's Crab Cakes

As I mention all the time Sunday brunch is the meal of the week that I look forward to. 

The other day I was given come crab meat from Joan at Fish Stop in Glen Eden to make my crab cakes. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fish-Stop/195232340520392

This is the result, we have full bellies, thinking about a sleep but I think I will take the dogs for a walk.

I served this with grilled bacon and lemon wedges. For a sauce I used Urban Appetites Avocado Sauce.

Ingredients

400 grams crabmeat or 1 400g tin of salmon
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 chopped red bell pepper (150g)
¹⁄³ cup of spring onions, trimmed and chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
¼ teaspoon sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup GF breadcrumbs, plus extra, ½ cup for dredging
½ cup GF mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions

Drain and look through crabmeat to make sure it has no shells or cartilage and chill in the refrigerator.

Place the olive oil in a 250mm frying pan and put pan over a medium heat. Add the peppers and onion, sauté for at least 5 minutes until the vegetables soften slightly. Stir in the garlic and salt and cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove the vegetables from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Once the vegetables are cool to the touch add them to the crabmeat. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise,  Dijon and season with salt and pepper. Very carefully mix all ingredients together. The best way to mix the crab mixture is with clean hands; however, you can use a spoon or spatula. It is important to mix gently to keep the crabmeat intact.

From the mixture form ½-cup oval cakes with your hands and place them on a clean plate, separating the layers of cakes with baking/wax paper. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before frying.

Fill a deep fryer with vegetable oil, (I use canola oil) to the maximum line. Preheat to 190C. While the oil is heating, roll the crab cakes in breadcrumbs to coat. When oil is ready, place about 2 crab cakes in the basket, lower into the oil, and cook for about 2 to 4 minutes, turning the cakes half way through cooking time. Lift basket and let the oil drain out. With a pair of tongs, place crab cakes on layered paper towels to drain and lightly season with salt. Continue with the remaining cakes and serve immediately.

If you don’t have a deep fryer a high sided fry pan will do and shallow fry using a slotted spoon to turn.

New Zealand Seasonal Vegetables

New Zealand at its Seasonal Best.

In New Zealand we grow some of the best meats, veggies and fruits in the world and we are also re-noun for award winning primary and secondary produce production.

There are days when we look at prices in the shops and think this is not true, its can’t be happening, but when we take a good look at things, we are a country that produces some of the best produce in the world and if we buy seasonal we can produce at seasonal low pricing while being the best time to purchase. New Zealand’s quality standards are amongst some of the most stringent in the world for primary and secondary food production.

In New Zealand we have a well established Farmers Markets all through out the country and they bring us very fresh produce, usually when their produce and or products for sale are at their freshest and at peak quality.

More and more New Zealanders are becoming big fans of seasonal produce and visiting these markets in the weekend. It’s a fun thing to do on a Saturday or a Sunday to jump in the car and go shopping for the best that’s on offer this week. Its also a great way to learn tricks from the sellers that helps us to get the best out of their produce and products.

I strongly encourage everyone to use produce at its peak for the best quality and fullest flavour possible. These are also ingredients that are usually at their best price and value.

The following lists are a general vegetable guide for looking for what’s good in what season.

Spring	Summer	Autumn	Winter
Artichokes asparagus avocado beans broccoli cabbage carrots cauliflower cucumber leeks lettuce peas potatoes radish silverbeet snow peas spinach sugar snap peas sweetcorn tomatoes zucchini	asparagus avocado beans capsicum celery cucumber eggplant green beans leeks lettuce peas radish snow peas squash sugar snap peas sweetcorn tomato zucchini	asian greens avocado beans beetroot borlotti beans broccoli brussels sprouts cabbage capsicum carrot cauliflower celery cucumber eggplant fennel leeks lettuce onions parsnip peas potato pumpkin silverbeet spinach squash swede sweet potato sweetcorn tomato turnip mushroom	asian greens avocado beetroot broccoli brussels sprouts cabbage carrot cauliflower celeriac celery fennel horseradish Jerusalem artichoke kale kohlrabi leek okra olive onion parsnip peas potato pumpkin silverbeet spinach swede sweet potato turnip

Nana’s Cucumber Relish

This recipe is from Sue at Sullivan's Foods in Geraldine. Sullivan's Foods www.sullivansfoods.co.nz have developed a great Malt Vinegar Substitute that I have been using and I am loving it. 

Its available from Bin Inn in bulk.

Ingredients

750g apples, peel, core and chop up

600ml Sullivan’s GF Malt Vinegar Substitute

400g sugar

750g onions, minced

750g cucumber, peeled and minced

50g salt

1 ½ tbsp curry powder

1 dsp tumeric

1 tbsp cornflour

½ cup water

Directions

In a large pot add the apples, malt vinegar substitute and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer till the apples are soft.

Once the apples are soft add the onions, cucumber, salt and curry powder and bring back to a boil for 5 min then add the tumeric and stir in for colour. Mix a tablespoon of cornflour in ½ cup of water and thicken the relish. Once thickened remove from the heat and bottle the relish in sterilised jars. Seal when the jars have cooled.

Hint- You can use a food processor to mince the onions and cucumber. 

BBQ Grilled Lamb Chops with Brown Sugar Glaze

Sweet and savoury, perfect for a spring/summer BBQ meal. I have served  with glazed baby carrots and green vegetable, baked potato or a fresh seasonal salad.

Chops need to marinate for at least one hour.

Ingredients

55g          brown sugar

4g            ground ginger

3g            dried tarragon

2g            ground cinnamon

2g            ground black pepper

3g            garlic powder

3g            salt

400g        lamb chops


Serves 3-4

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, ginger, tarragon, cinnamon, pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Rub lamb chops with the seasonings, and place on a plate. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat BBQ to high heat and when hot reduce to a medium heat.

Brush BBQ grate lightly with oil, and arrange lamb chops on BBQ.

Cook 4 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness. 

CuisAnn - Gluten Free Foods

"Gluten Free Food is Our Business".

Our goal for CuisAnn gluten free products is to be accepted in mainstream markets. We have done our best to capture the taste and flavours of wholesome, old fashioned food. 

We promise great taste and no gluten!

http://www.cuisann.co.nz

About CuisAnn

Ann Brockliss founded the company, CuisAnn in 2002. Today as it did then CuisAnn still operates from a lifestyle property on SH1 just south of Whangarei. It is a family-owned and operated business and over the last 10 years has continued to excel in the supply of Gluten free goodies to people like me.

Where I started my Gluten free knowledge – The Gluten Free Chef.

I have to thank Ann for the education she gave me back in 2002-2003 about Gluten free. I remember her telling me about her mum being Coeliac and I didn’t know what that was and she filled in the gaps for me.

I was working with CuisAnn right back in their early days, 2002-2003 to develop their first website. This gave me the time to learn all about what and why they were starting the business. Being a chef I had a natural interest in what they were doing.

It was a couple of years later and I realised that my body had a big issue with Gluten. It was Ann’s words that had stuck in my mind about what was happening that gave me the insight to remove Gluten from my diet. This was also the start of my progression to my business now as The Gluten Free Chef, thanks Ann.

CuisAnn Today

Over the years, Ann and her team have developed a range of gluten free products with great taste, that are liked by everyone, not just Coeliacs! They also have some great Dairy free options as well within their product range.

Their products are made in a dedicated gluten free kitchen and as people with issues with Gluten this is so important for ensuring that there is no cross-contamination and product integrity is kept pure to our needs.

A range of their products are tested annually to ensure they meet the gluten free criteria. Everything, except our sausage meat, is made on site from scratch.

What are their products?

The list is large so I suggest you check out their range at the link below. I have selected some of my favorites and listed them below to wet your appetite.

Mince Pie, Hearty Chicken Pie, Curried Chicken & Kumara Pie, Buckwheat & Ginger Pie, Bacon & Egg Pie, Butter Chicken Pie, Sausage Rolls, Chicken Lasagne, Apple Crumble Tart, Apricot & Almond Tart, Organic Steak & Onion Pie, Dairy Free Mince Pie and the list goes on. 

http://www.cuisann.co.nz/ProductRange.cfm