Tuna and rice parcels

1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
2 cups cooked rice
1 400g tin tuna in brine, drained
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh herbs - parsley, basil, oregano and mint is nice
1 tsp chopped chili
1 Tbs fresh lemon or lime juice
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Saute the onion, celery and green pepper in a  little oil.  Stir in remaining ingredients and serve wrapped in lettuce cups.  It is great for lunch as well - just pack the lettuce leaves separately and wrap just before eating. 

Green Papaya salad

1 small green papaya
2 cups bean sprouts
2 tomatoes, cut into thin strips
3 spring onions, in matchsticks
1/2 cup fresh basil coarsely chopped
fresh coriander
1 red chili, chopped
1/2 cup raw peanuts coarsely chopped
Dressing
2 Tbsp fish sauce - or soy sauce
2 Tbs vegetable oil
3 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs honey

Peel and grate papaya or slice with peeler into long strips. add other vegetables, then toss with dressing.  Taste and adjust if necessary, then sprinkle with nuts and chili

Quinoa and roasted pumpkin salad

1  cup quinoa

2 cups water

rinse quinoa and then cook in rice cooker or in pot 15 mins.  Cool

1kg pumpkin roasted and cooled

1 cup pecans, roasted

1 cup red onions, thinly sliced and lightly sauteed

1/2 cup cranberries

1/2 cup chopped parsley

Dressing

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbs cider vinegar

1 tsp orange zest

mix together and toss with dressing and serve

Soaked Oatmeal muffins

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup wholewheat flour
1 cup whey or sour milk
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 large apple, grated

Mix oats, wholewheat flour and whey and leave 1- 24 hours.  Add egg and sugar to oats, quickly stir in dry ingredients and apple.  Scoop into 12 muffin pans.  Bake at 200*C for 15 minutes.

Indonesian roast lamb

2Tbs keekap manis
2 Tbs seeded mustard
5 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
2 Tbs chopped ginger
3 tsp ground black pepper
2 Kg lamb shoulder
1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
100ml water

Mix together keepkap manis, mustard, lime leaves, ginger, pepper and salt together.  Place lamb in roasting tray and smother with oil mixture. Tuck garlic pieces under lamb.  Pour water into tray and place in oven at 200*C, covered.  Roast for one and a half hours, then test for doneness, basting halfway through and checking to see if more water is need.  Rest 10 mins before carving.

recipe adapted from Bali by Janet de Neefe

Paella with an Indonesian twist

Tomato sauce:
1 kg tomatoes, chopped or one tin tomatoes
1 Tbs tomato paste
8 red shallots, chopped
8 garlic cloves
1 leek, white part only, chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp grated palm sugar or raw sugar
3 Tbs vegetable oil.
2 bay leaves

8 raw prawns, remove shell from body, leave head and tail
500g marinara mix
2 Tbs oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 red shallots, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp chopped chiles
3 tsp grated ginger
4 kaffir lime leaves
200ml chicken stock
2 tsp fish sauce
2 carrots, jullienned
15 snow peas
salt and pepper

Simmer tomato sauce ingredients for about 1 hour or until oil rises to the surface.  You need 6 heaped Tbs for the paella.  the remainder is great on pizza.
Heat oil in wok, add onion, shallots, garlic, chili, ginger and lime leaves and stir fry for about 30 seconds.  add the tomato sauce and carrots, along with chicken stock and fish sauce and bring to a simmer.   Add seafood prawns and snow peas just a few minutes before serving.  They take only a few minutes to cook. Serve on hot yellow rice cooked with tumeric, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, stirring in a little, but making sure there is still bright yellow rice visible.

recipe originally from Bali by Janet de Neefe - I have adapted to suit my cooking style and ingredients available.

Paneer

3 litres 2% milk
1 tsp citric acid dissolved in 1/4 cup water or
6 Tbs lemon juice

Pour milk into a large saucepan and bring just to the boil. 79*C  Immediately turn off heat and add citric acid or lemon juice.  Stir until milk separates into curds and whey, about 1 to 2 mins. remove from heat. Leave to stand undisturbed for about 15 minutes.  If whey is still cloudy you can stir in more lemon juice but beware that adding too much lemon juice will change the flavour of the final product. Line a colander with cheesecloth and set over a large bowl.  Pour in the milk mixture.  Leave to drain until cool, about 15 mins. Bring together corners to make a bundle, squeeze, then leave to drain until all the whey has dripped out, about 30 mins for ricotta.  For paneer, keeping curds wrapped place on a board and set another board on top to flatten into a block.  Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. carefully peel off the cloth and cut cheese into 1" squares.