cook with niki

[cookwithniki]

Kaldereta

8 servings

700-800g slow cooker beef marinate in 4tbsp lemon juice 1/4 cup soy sauce

On high heat: brown the beef retain marinade remove from saucepan

On medium heat, saute: 2 sliced onions garlic

Add, to simmer for 30 mins: + beef stock 2 cups + 1-2 tomato sauce cans + 100g tomato paste; freestyle this until further testing is done + marinade from previous + beef + bay leaves x4 + chilis hell yeah

After 30 mins: + Red capsicum x1 or 2 (Add later if you want them nondisintegrated) + Chopped pickles or gherkins for sweetness

After 1 h: Taste, add sugar if sour. + chopped potatos x4 + green olives if you want

After 5 mins: + chopped carrot x3 large

After 5 mins: + frozen peas if using

[cookwithniki]

Granola with almonds and coconut

300g rolled oats: toss with about 100ml maple syrup, pinch of sea salt.

Add to roasting pan with about 1tbsp melted butter.

In oven: 10 mins, 150 degrees

toss

In oven: 10 mins

add flaked almonds, pinch cinnamon

In oven: 15 mins

add coconut flakes

In oven: 5 mins

[cookwithniki]

Banana peanut butter smoothie

Makes 4

2 large or 3 medium bananas, frozen 1 tbsp peanut butter 1 flat tbsp honey ice resist the urge to add random fruit especially if not yellow

oat milk up to around 1L when blended

[cookwithniki]

Slushy specked green smoothie

Makes 4-5

1/4 honeydew, frozen 1 banana, med-large, frozen 1 kiwifruit, large. OK if not totally ripe. 2-3 rings pineapple, splash of juice 1/4 large avocado or 1/2 small one 1/3 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup oat milk handful ice

delicious, tart, thick, icy, so balanced. Favourite one so far. 10/10

[cookwithniki]

Green smoothie #1

Makes 4.

Avocado, ½, frozen Mango, ½, frozen Honeydew melon ¼ Pineapple, 2 rings

Maple syrup Matcha powder 1 tsp

Oat milk 1 cup Ice, handful

Coconut milk 1 tbsp* Water/pineapple juice 1 cup*

Blend.

*Fats in avocado and coconut milk make it very thick - if you want to avoid this, exclude coconut milk, or add water or pineapple juice

[cookwithniki]

Orange smoothie #1

Makes 3.

Orange, ½ Banana, 1, frozen Pineapple, 2 rings Rockmelon, ⅙ Goji berries, optional for redder colour

Coconut milk, 1-2 tbsp full fat Oat milk, about 1 cup Ice, handful Blend

Bright and delicious. Quite sweet.

[cookwithniki]

Vegetarian couscous inspired by Morocco

4 servings

In saucepan:

oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

when softened, add:

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp harissa

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp grind coriander seed

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger, finely chopped

when fragrant (1 min), add:

2 zucchini, roughly chopped

2 carrot, roughly chopped

shredded cabbage, just a bit

1/4 cup dried apricots, halved

mixed lentils or chickpeas (optional, maybe less than 1/4 cup)

1.5 cups veg / chicken stock

Simmer 1 hour, don’t let it dry out.

Add more water or veg stock if necessary

Fry halloumi separately, cubed.

1 halloumi block = 4 servings.

1/4 cup couscous per serving. Mix butter in the cooked couscous.

Put couscous on dish, pile halloumi and veg on top.

[cookwithniki]

Red lentil curry

4 servings

1 small onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped small 3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped (optional) 1 vegetable stock cube in about 2-3 cups water 1 (approx 250 ml) cup red lentils, washed. 1-2 tbsp butter or ghee. Paneer, cubed Spices. About a teaspoon each of: cumin, ground coriander seed, paprika, garam masala (or just a regular curry spice mix if lazy)

***

Heat oil. Fry onion til soft. Add garlic and celery.

Add: cumin, ground coriander seed, paprika, garam masala. Mix until fragrant, maybe 1 minute. Be careful: burns easily.

Add: tomatoes, red lentils, vegetable stock, water, paneer.

Simmer for about 20-30 minutes depending on how soft you want the lentils. Add boiled water if it gets too dry. Melt in the ghee/butter.

[cookwithniki]

Yellowtail

4 fillets yellowtail 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons sake 3 tablespoons mirin

Sprinkle salt on fillets. Fry until browned. Remove the oil by using kitchen paper.

Add sake, mirin, and soy sauce; simmer.

[cookwithniki]

Chickpea coconut curry

Olive oil Garlic Onion Ginger 2 tsp turmeric 1 tsp red pepper flakes 2 cans chickpeas Coconut milk (1 can if 18g fat/80+% coconut). 2 cans if lower grade Tomatoes, canned or chopped, optional 2  cups vegetable or chicken stock Kale Mint leaves Yoghurt Naan

...

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Add: 1 large yellow onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger, chopped, till very lightly browned.

Add 2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chilli flakes: 1 min, fragrant.

Add 2 cans chickpeas til a bit crispy, 8 mins. Remove a handful to serve with later if you want.

Squish the stuff left behind.

Add coconut milk, veg stock. Salt and pepper. Simmer 20+ mins.  

Add Kale, 2 handfuls, til wilted.

Serve with yoghurt, mint, naan.

[cookwithniki]

sauteed corn with greens

bacon: brown, cut 1 inch wide. remove, keep 1 tbsp fat in pan.

butter 1 tbsp, melt chopped shallots, 2 mins.

then add:

small onion, chopped corn (3 cups/4 kernels) capsicum (1) red pepper flakes (pinch)

salt and pepper

crumble bacon over 5 cups greens (200g), wilt (kale/chard/spinach)

[cookwithniki]

Dutch baby

3 eggs ½ cup flour ½ cup milk 1 tbsp sugar

4 tbsp butter nutmeg

***

Oven 220C. Mix eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg.

Butter baking dish. When butter melts, add mixture.

20 minutes. Lower to 150C and bake 5 mins more.

[cookwithniki]

Salmon with anchovy butter, Linguine with lemon sauce

salmon with anchovy butter

serves 4

4 salmon fillets

3 tbsp butter 5 anchovy fillets 3 garlic black pepper 1/2 lemon parsley to serve

***

preheat oven 200C

mash butter, chopped anchovies, chopped garlic, pepper. melt half of mixture on skillet, high heat.

add salmon skin side down, spoon pan stuff over the top. 3 minutes.

put salmon in oven 8-10 mins

add remaining butter mix on top to melt. squeeze lemon, add parsley.

*******

linguine with lemon sauce

2 tbsp butter 1 lemon zest 4 tbsp heavy cream 2 tbsp lemon juice

linguine or spaghetti for 4 people parmesan

***

heat butter, lemon zest. add cream

add cooked pasta, lemon juice, parmesan.

[cookwithniki]

Pear and blue cheese gnocci

Garlic Pear x3 unsalted butter knob 4 tbsp crème fraîche 150g blue cheese

800g gnocchi Parsley to serve * Cook garlic in butter

Add sliced pear 3 minutes to soften

Add crème fraîche and blue cheese until melted

Cook gnocchi

Add some cooking water to sauce to loosen

* Makes 4

[cookwithniki]

Pear and blue cheese pizza

Pear x3 Blue cheese Prosciutto Caramelised onion x2 extra large or x4 medium

Flat bread Olive oil

Makes about 4

[cookwithniki]

Risotto: mushroom

makes 5 servings

500g arborio rice ½ cup white wine 4-5 cups chicken stock 300g portobello mushrooms 300g cup mushrooms 2 onions cumin parmesan cheese

Notes:

Chop and cook mushrooms, set aside.

Chop and cook onions. Add rice: toast rice. Add cumin. Heat up chicken stock in separate saucepan.

Add wine. When absorbed, add stock, ladle at a time, until fully absorbed. Should take 20-30 minutes. If rice is not cooked, add up to ½ cup stock more, cook on low heat, let it rest and absorb liquid. Add cooked mushrooms back in towards the end.

Salt, pepper, parmesan.

*

Goes with asparagus: Fry asparagus with garlic and oil. Add salt, pepper, butter.

[cookwithniki]

Crepes: flat

makes 5 big crepes

1 cup flour

4 medium eggs

1½ cup milk

1 tbsp butter

2 tsp sugar

pinch salt

bit of nutmeg

Notes:

Beat eggs and milk before pouring into flour.

Rest for 10 minutes before cooking

Makes 4:

3/4 cup flour

3 medium eggs

1 1/8 cup milk (280 ml)

1 tbsp butter

1.5 tsp sugar