Louise Keen: Still Life Series 2014 at the Lake House Arts Centre

On Wednesday Evening ( October 15) Louise Keen's Still Life exhibition opened in Takapuna at the Lake House Arts Centre Cafe Gallery. We enjoyed viewing the art, and some great food and wine.

There is an environmental message in her artworks. The plastic bottles pictured  are often carelessly discarded after they have been used in the kitchen and around the house  and their lack of biodegradability poses a threat to our environment. Does the meandering stitching that overlays them represent the circuitous journey of people searching for, but not always finding, a more sustainable pathway? The salvaged plastic which she has incorporated  into her artworks could be a part of the solution.

"Louise's works on canvas play with compositions of form by including real world objects onto the canvas and the use of colour as a significant motif of culture. By using the transparent and malleable properties of plastic , naive machine stitching an layering, Louise merges the two dimensionality of painting into sculpture."

The exhibition runs from October 15-November 2, 2014

at the Lake House Arts Centre, 37 Fred Thomas Drive Takapuna,

Wood Pigeon in our Garden

Spotted feeding on the berries of our Nikau Palm this afternoon was this woodpigeon. We don't often see then in our garden but this one stayed around for quite some time and wasn't at all camera shy. Eventually it did fly away and hasn't been back since.

Pawpaw Salsa

We like this salsa as part of a taco filling with  some pulled chicken and sour cream. Do adjust the heat to suit your palate but beware that if  you overdo the hot sauce it will blow your socks off. In that case adding more cucumber could save the day as it has a cooling effect.I like it medium hot so here is my recipe.



Mix together:



1 pawpaw ( peeled, seeded and cubed)
1 red pepper (seeded and cubed)
1/4 telegraph cucumber (cubed)
2 teaspoon of Tio Pablo Tropical Salsa Picante de Pina ( a hot Mexican sauce made from pineapple, serrano chilli, coriander and lime)
1/4 red onion finely diced ( optional)
chopped mint

Red Rice Cakes

These little red rice cakes are so easy to make for a healthy snack or as part of a Mexican meal.

The Tio Pablo Arroz Rojo used in this recipe is an authentic Mexican Red Rice Mix of tomato, capsicum, split peas and spices. You just add rice and cook according to the instructions on the packet.


To make them:


Cook the rice according to the instruction on the package
For every 2 cups of rice stir in a few tablespoons of frozen peas (no need to defrost)
Leave the rice until it is lukewarm
Then add 1 egg , 3/4-1 cup of tasty cheddar cheese and 1 teaspoon of Tio Pablo Mexican Gold spice mix.
Spoon into medium sized  silicone muffin molds which have been lightly greased/sprayed with oil
Fill each to the top and pat down lightly to level the surface
Sprinkle some finely grated parmesan cheese on top

Bake for about 12-15 minutes in a moderate oven until they are set and the parmesan cheese is golden brown


Serve with a tomato salsa/tomato sauce


This is a very flexible recipe. Sometimes I add 2 eggs to make a softer rice cake. And you can  substitute the peas with some sweet corn.

Spicy Mexican Coleslaw

It's the Mexican Spicy Peanuts spiked with chipotle and orange which make this colourful coleslaw so appealing. Once the wind drops and the sun starts to shine we'll start firing up the barbecue and eat this salad all summer long. 

To make it  shred some green cabbage and put in a bowl. Add  cubed mango and  cubed red pepper  and moisten with  mayonnaise ( I used Heinz Seriously Good) and the juice of a lime.

Just before serving  add plenty of Tio  Pablo Mexican Spicy peanuts and some chopped mint.

( ps Cook's privilege. Pour yourself a drink and nibble some of these peanuts while you chop. They are very moorish)

Heritage Homes a Re-Imagining: Exhibition Opening

The Lake House Arts Centre in Takapuna is celebrating the Auckland Heritage Festival with some exciting events, classes and exhibitions. 

This evening it was the opening of the exhibition 'Heritage Homes-a re-imagining - featuring Marie Potter. It was a relaxed and celebratory occasion with many a tale told of bygone Takapuna days by some of the guests while sipping a glass or two of wine.

Sweet Corn Salad

Ghee may seem like an unusual ingredient to use when making a sweet corn salad but its high smoke point allows the corn to brown without burning.It also adds a deliciously nutty flavour which combines surprisingly well with the tangy citrus chilli salt.

Method:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee ( or 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil) in a frying pan,
• Once hot, add 1 crushed clove of garlic and a drained 400g can of sweetcorn and fry these over a moderately high heat until the sweetcorn is starting to brown lightly.
• Add 1 chopped spring onion and fry for a further  minute.
• Put the contents of the frying pan into a ceramic bowl .
• Add a squeeze of lime/lemon juice (optional)
• Season to taste with Tio Pablo Citrus Chilli Salt
• Add lots of chopped coriander and toss.
• Serve warm.

Two Salad Dressings with Mexican Seasoning

My approach to dressing a salad is playful. The usual starting point is the classical proportion of 3 tablespoons of olive oil to 1 tablespoon of vinegar/citrus juice. After that I'll add different kinds of salt, black pepper, minced garlic, a little mustard, a dab of honey, or chopped herbs like mint, basil or coriander. I taste as I go.

Here are two very simple dressings I made today. The flavoured salts spiked them up nicely without being overwhelming. I love the attractive little tins they come in as well!

Tio Pablo Red Chilpotle Salt Salad Dressing

Shake/Stir well together:

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of Tio Pablo Red Chilpotle Salt (or to taste)

( Nice tossed into a corn and tomato salad with a garnish of coriander. Add some chopped avocado shortly before serving.)

Tio Pablo Citrus Chilli Salt Salad Dressing


Shake/stir well together:

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tbsp of orange juice

1/2 teaspoon of Tio Pablo Citrus Chilli Salt

(Tasty drizzled on  garlicky roasted eggplant with a garnish of chopped mint. If you like sprinkle some crumbled feta on top)

Spinach Risone: A One Pan Meal

There are times when I really just want to stretch out on the sofa, a glass of wine in hand, instead of cooking dinner. But eventually hunger pangs will send me off on a small journey to explore what's in the garden and pantry.
This is the meal I rustled up with what was on hand last night. It ticked  all my boxes for simple, healthy and fast. The dedicated meat eater in our house preferred his sausages! And we shared a green salad.


Ingredients:

1 tsp butter
1 tsp oil
1 small red onion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
1/2 cup of risone
1 bay leaf
1 cup of hot vegetable /chicken stock
a dash of hot chilli sauce
1 tablespoon of IAMSAUCE
1 tbsp of coconut cream powder
1 cup of chopped spinach
Another splash of IAM sauce and freshly ground black pepper to taste



Method:
In a large frying pan, over a moderate heat, fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil and butter.
When they are golden add the bay leaf and continue to fry for 1 minute.
Add orzo, stir and toast for another 1-2  minutes;
Add the hot chicken//vegetables stock.
Bring to the boil and stir in the hot chilli sauce, coconut cream powder and 1 tablespoon of IAMSAUCE
Simmer uncovered (stirring from time to time) until all the stock is absorbed and the risone is tender.
Fold in the spinach and continue to cook for a few minutes util it has wilted.
Add black pepper and another splash of IAMSAUCE to taste.


I think the addition of some toasted pine nuts would have made this recipe even nicer but I had none on hand.


IAMSAUCE (  the capitals and joined words are not a typo! That's how it's called) is one of those useful store cupboard sauces full of Asian flavours that you can pour over foods like fish and chips, salad, rice and sushi veges.

Broccoli Slaw: Raw Energy

The sun was shining brightly this morning as I huffed and puffed all the way to the top of North Head in Devonport with a friend . Our lack of fitness and muffin tops were a salutary reminder to put away those stodgy recipes that we eat to sustain ourselves when the weather is chilly. Time now to chow on some raw energy . Which is why I created this broccoli slaw for lunch.



Serves 2 generously

Ingredients:

1 head of broccoli
A small handful of salted cashew nuts.
A small handful of raisins.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp of IAMSAUCE
A squeeze of lime juice

Method:

Slice the broccoli florets and some of the stems very finely.
Add the cashews and raisins.
Toss with the dressing (made from the olive oil , IAM sauce and lime juice)

ps IAMSAUCE is anaturally brewed soy sauce with fresh ginger, honey and tamarind.