Initially I was going to call this a taco but then after researching the difference between taco, burrito, tortilla it seems that tortilla (in Mexican cookery a thin, flat maize pancake, eaten hot or cold, typically with a savoury filling) is more correct. I think the ‘wrap’ or ‘tortilla’ is more transportable and easier to eat than the taco shell so they’re great for taking on a picnic or in the boat for a fishing trip! If you make the pineapple salsa and the avocado cream the night before the flavours will develop more and so your tortilla will be extra tasty.

PINEAPPLE SALSA
1 fresh pineapple, diced
1/2 a fresh chilli, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
3 mint leaves, finely chopped
A small handful of coriander, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Juice of one lime
Salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate. Your salsa will stay fresh for 2 – 3 days.

AVOCADO CORIANDER CREAM
1 avocado
Juice of one lemon
A good handful of fresh coriander

Whiz with a stick blender and refrigerate. Your avo cream will stay green and fresh for 2 – 3 days due to the lemon juice content.

SNAPPER TORTILLA
Makes 6

3 fresh snapper fillets
1 tablespoon of flour
1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Shake all together in a plastic bag to coat the fish fillets evenly. Pan fry your fish over a medium-high heat in a little olive oil and a knob of butter until golden brown on both sides. Set aside.

6 wraps or tortillas, I use the smaller ones, about bread and butter plate size
1/4 of a red cabbage, finely sliced
A good handful of snowpea sprouts (I always chop the ends of them so they are not quite so long and more manageable)
Olive oil

ASSEMBLE TORTILLA
Brush a frypan with olive oil and heat over a medium-high heat, add your tortillas one at a time and cook on both sides till golden. Along the centre of each tortilla add some sliced red cabbage and some snow pea sprouts. Chope the snapper fillets into bite sized chunks and add a few of these to each tortilla. Spoon over pineapple salsa and dollop with the avocado cream. Season with salt and pepper, wrap and serve or wrap and pack.

The great thing about this type of food is it’s very mix and match, use what you have on hand eg. instead of pineapple salsa make a cucumber – tomato salsa or add mango to the pineapple. Layer with lettuce and grated carrot rather than cabbage and sprouts.

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I love New Zealand seafood, there’s just no other way to say it. I grew up on the water, mostly around Northland and watched my father countless times boil the tin for fresh crayfish or prepare the smoke house for today’s catch. Earlier this year I created some dishes for Aquaculture NZ and of the ten this is the one I dream about the most. It’s so vibrant and tasty that it’s a tragedy when it’s all gone! It’s also a very economic family meal, give it a try you won’t regret it.

RECIPE
20 fresh mussels
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, final chopped
2 bay leaves
1 cup of chicken stock
Juice of one lemon
2 390g cans of cannellini beans
6 tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons of olive oil
10 rasher of streaky bacon, chopped
2 spring onions, sliced
1/2 cup of parsley chopped
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper

Serves 4-6.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Place the tomatoes in a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 mins or until the tomatoes are a lovely rich red and starting to darken on the edges.

While the tomatoes are cooking scrub and de-beard the mussels. Then heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large frypan and cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. Tip any excess bacon fat out of the pan, leaving about one tablespoon in the pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently until the onion is soft – about 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, lemon juice and bay leaves. Bring to the boil.

Add the mussels and place the lid on the pan. Leave for about 3 minutes and check to see if the shells have opened, if not they may need another minute. Remove the mussels and set aside discarding any unopened ones.

Add the cannelloni beans to the pan and the bacon and tomatoes, heat through for a few minutes over a medium temperature. Remove half the mussels from their shells and stir into the sauce. Remove from the heat.

Ladle the sauce into bowls, add some mussels in their shells, scatter over the spring onion, parsley, parmesans and salt and pepper.

Serve with lemon cheeks and fried or grilled ciabatta.

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At the moment I’m working on a new book with Janine Tait (dermo nutrition guru) which is for the Janesce skincare Vital Cleanse menu. The Vital Cleanse has been part of the Janesce program for many years and so Janine and I decided to present it in a lovely book with new recipes and a meal planner. I especially loved this fish bake beacause it’s seafood and the crust is really good as an alternative to breadcrumbs! The Vital Cleanse book will be launched early next year.

Serves 2 to 3

Crust
¼ cup of pumpkin seeds
¼ cup of sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
Zest of a lemon
Himalayan or sea salt to taste
Pepper to taste
¼ cup of parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Fish
500 grams of fresh fish
3 medium sized tomatoes, sliced
1 clove of garlic, chopped
¼ cup of parsley, chopped
Juice of one lemon
Himalayan salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius. Pulse the pumpkin and sunflower seeds in your food processor until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Place in a medium sized bowl and add the sesame seeds, lemon zest, salt, pepper, olive oil and parsley.

Place your fish fillets in an oiled, shallow baking dish. Layer the sliced tomatoes on top of the fish and sprinkle with parsley and garlic. Add salt and pepper and the lemon juice.

Cover with the crust and place in the oven for 20 minutes until crust is golden brown and fish is cooked. Serve with fresh salad and brown rice.

HEALTHYME SHOPPING ESSENTIALS

500 grams of fresh fish (I’ve used snapper)
Tomatoes x 3
Italian parsley
Lemons x 1
Olive oil
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds

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It’s all very well deciding to eat healthy but unless you have some ideas on what to create and the ingredients on hand, it can prove to be a challenge! I thought I would start a ‘HEALTHYME‘ series to share with you what sort of food I create regularly so that I can eat healthy more easily. In the ‘HEALTHYME‘ series I will cover simple breakfast, lunch, dinner, sauces and dressing recipes that I use often to help me keep on track.

I try to use organic ingredients whenever possible or at least source local ingredients because I know where they are grown and how fresh they are :). I always use fresh herbs, can’t imagine a meal without them to be honest and they are the easiest plants to grow. At then end of each ‘HEALTHYME‘ recipe I will list the essential items you need in your fridge and pantry. These meals are created out of ingredients that are always really useful to have on hand. That way once you are used to making more healthy food for yourself you will find it easier to know what to buy when you do your food shopping – it’s about developing some new habits.

Frittata is an awesome meal in one, in this one the sweetness of the buttercup is delicious with cumin and fennel. Feel free to add any of your favourite veg to your frittata. I often eat vegetarian because I believe it’s better for you and I like the creativity and flavours that go into making a vegetarian meal.

RECIPE

Serves 2-3
1/4 pumpkin, sliced into wedges (I’ve used buttercup)
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
6 organic eggs
1 large courgette, sliced
5 button mushrooms, sliced
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 spring onions, sliced
100 grams of feta, crumbled
A good handful of fresh basil leaves
A good handful of italian parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Line two small baking dishes with baking paper. In one, place the sliced pumpkin, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with the fennel seeds and cumin powder, season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes until soft and golden brown. In the other baking dish place the tomatoes and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes until soft and golden brown. Chop the pumpkin into chunks, I leave the skin on but you may prefer to remove it. The tomatoes may be ready sooner so just remove from the oven and set aside.

Whisk the eggs together in a bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frypan and add the sliced courgette and mushrooms, cook for a few minutes on a high heat until golden brown. Add the pumpkin chunks and pour over the whisked eggs. Turn the heat down to low, add the roast tomatoes, spring onion and crumbled feta. Cook gently until the egg starts to firm up on the surface (about 10 minutes). Place under a hot grill to brown for a few minutes. Season with salt and cracked pepper. Serve in wedges for lunch or dinner with the fresh basil and parsley.

Leftover frittata is great served cold the following day.

HEALTHYME SHOPPING ESSENTIALS

Pumpkin or buttercup
Organic eggs
Courgette
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Feta
Fennel seeds
Cumin powder
Basil
Italian parsley
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil

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This is a really delicate, flavoursome dish and so easy to do with the added bonus of no messy frying. The rice has a sweet, sticky coconut flavour – very yummy.  The hardest part is knowing whether your salmon is cooked and you don’t want to overcook it. Test one after 10 minutes by checking the flakiness of the middle of the piece of salmon, it should be juicy and just flaking. If it’s not flaking at all in the center then it will need another few minutes.

Serves two

250-300 grams of fresh salmon, cut into two pieces
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
4 tablespoons of coconut milk
1/2 red chilli, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 makrut (kaffir) lime leaf, finely chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
1 cup of black rice or basmati rice
2 tablespoons of fresh coriander and parsley, chopped
Himalayan or sea salt
Ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Cook the rice according to instructions on the packet.

Mix together the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, chilli and makrut lime.

In a baking tray add two rectangles of baking paper (large enough so you can enclose your salmon parcel). Place half a cup of the cooked rice into the middle of each piece of baking paper and spread a little. Add a salmon piece on each. Spoon over even quantities of the coconut milk mixture on each parcel. Top with half of the spring onion. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the sides over each and then fold the ends and roll them up to enclose your parcels. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve with coriander, parsley and extra spring onion.

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It’s been awhile between blog posts. April was a month where ‘life happened’, it was tough. A good friend lost her beautiful daughter in a tragic accident, bearing witness to this has been heartbreaking. Then a nasty flu virus hit me and it was hard to overcome. Now it’s May and my youngest son and I have been staying in a remote part of New Zealand (by the sea) for ten days of R&R. It’s been very peaceful and we are ready to head home again in a couple of days.

This morning I felt like eggs with a difference for breakfast so decided to try eggs en cocette with spinach and mushrooms. This was so delicate and beautiful to eat – undoubtedly the best eggy breakfast!

INGREDIENTS (for two servings)
2 organic eggs
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 large mushrooms, chopped
120g of baby spinach leaves
4 tablespoons of cream
2 tablespoons of parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Knob of butter
Salt and pepper

RECIPE
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Grease 2 ramekins with butter. Gently pan fry the onion, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil and butter until the onion is soft. Add the spinach leaves and stir through til wilted (about a minute). Remove from the heat add the nutmeg and cool. Once cool, drain off any excess liquid and chop. Add half of the spinach mixture to each ramekin. With a spoon press the spinach to make a well in the middle and spread up the sides of the ramekin. Break an egg into each one. Add two tablespoons of cream to each ramekin, sprinkle each with one tablespoon of parmesan. Sprinkle each with half the parsley then season with salt and pepper.

Place the egg ramekins in a larger oven proof dish, pour boiling water into the dish till the level is half way up the sides of the ramekin. Place carefully in the oven and bake for 15 minutes for soft eggs. Remove carefully, garnish with parsley and serve. So tasty.

Beautiful bougainvillea in flower where we are staying.

Waihau Bay, East Cape, New Zealand.

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This time of year in New Zealand (late summer), tomatoes are plentiful and cheap. Tomatoes and basil are an old match made in heaven. I brought a bag of mixed heirloom tomatoes from my local, Waihi Beach farmgate deli and came up with this little treat for an entree on a hot, late summer’s day…

INGREDIENTS
A handful of tomatoes per person (the smaller varieties), cut in half
100g goat feta, chopped
1 tablespoon of chives, chopped

FOR THE DRESSING
3 large basil leaves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 small clove of garlic, minced

Place all the dressing ingredients in a screw top jar and shake.

ASSEMBLE
Place the tomatoes and feta into serving dishes, spoon over dressing, garnish with chives.

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I love rustic, simple food it’s no secret. And living in the western bay of plenty, New Zealand means I am surrounded by avocado trees. They become a staple diet here especially when funds run a little low! They’re a whole meal in one, can’t beat them. When my children were babies I always had a ripe avo in my bag that I could just mash and spoon feed to quickly fill hungry tummies.

Toast a handful of whole pistachio nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Toast 2 slices of lovely wholemeal bread – I’ve used a locally made 5-grain one. Squish 1/4 a ripe avocado on each one, sprinkle with seeds and nuts, drizzle with balsamic vinegar (or lemon juice), avocado oil (or olive oil). Garnish with chopped parsley or coriander, season with freshly ground salt and pepper.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 ripe avocado
Pistachio nuts
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
Avocado oil or olive oil
wholemeal or wholegrain rustic bread
Chopped flat leaf parsley or coriander
Salt and pepper

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There’s something about mussel fritters that’s very addictive and very New Zealand. I couldn’t imagine life without New Zealand seafood or life without my mum! I’ve watched her make these countless time and I think the trick really is in the prep (see recipe).

RECIPE
12 fresh mussels
1/2 brown onion
a good handful of parsley, chopped finely (I also add some fresh coriander)
1 egg
1 tablespoon of flour
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of curry powder
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil for frying

You need to place the unopened mussels in a bowl or the kitchen sink and pour hot water over them, this makes them easier to open. Then open the shells, discard the nasty hairy bit (haha), remove the mussel from the shell and place the mussels into a food processor. Add all the other ingredients and pulse to mix. The batter should still be a little on the chunky side. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Heat the olive oil in a fry pan. Fry large tablespoons of mixture gently in the oil until golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges. Because the mussels are not pre-cooked the result is very delicate, fresh tasting fritters!

Other variations may include adding half a grated courgette to the mix and serving with a lemon mayonnaise (see below).

LEMON MAYONNAISE
2 egg yolks (your eggs must be fresh otherwise the mayo won’t thicken)
1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup of oil (olive or rice bran or canola)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of parsley, chopped

Using a stick blender or whisk, mix together the egg yolks and lemon juice. While the blender is going slowly trickle in the oil, the emulsion will gradually thicken to a smooth mayonnaise consistency. Place into a small bowl, stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

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Fresh mussels are a tasty, healthy and inexpensive meal here in New Zealand. This recipe has awesome flavours and is a favourite of mine – and well worth a try. Have them for a weekend lunch or summer later afternoon light meal with white wine. Enjoy!

1 tablespoon coconut oil
3 spring onions, sliced
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1/2 a kaffir lime leaf, finely chopped
1/2 a red chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup unsweetened coconut cream
1/2 a cup of water (add more if you like a thinner broth)
20 fresh mussels, rinsed, scrubbed & de-bearded
Zest and juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup whole coriander leaves
1/2 cup of chopped parsley

Heat the oil in the bottom of a large pot until hot. Add the spring onion, garlic, kaffir lime and chile. Cook over medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the coconut cream, water and mussels. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the mussels have opened, 5 to 7 minutes (discard any mussels that remained closed). Remove from heat, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the mussels to a large bowl, leaving the liquid in the pot. Stir the lemon zest and juice, half the coriander and parsley into the pot.

Scoop the mussels into a large serving bowl. Pour the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle over the rest of the coriander and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with crusty sour dough bread to soak up the tasty juices.

ALL GONE!

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