PARTY PREPARATION

Preparing food for a large party can bring some challenges particularly if you want delicious food that can be enjoyed by all.

There were several people we needed to cater for at a recent gathering who needed gluten free food.

These were some of the solutions we found.

Firstly finding a gluten free soy sauce helped a lot as the dipping sauces and marinades could be safe.

Secondly a few adjustments were made to recipes, using rice flour, cornflour or chick pea flour. Having herbs ready to hand in the garden, and chili paste (harissa see blog post on 11/14/11) already in the fridge made life that much easier.

Thanks to every one who complimented us on the food served. Of course the masses still took advantage of the meat dishes and the pastry based dishes that used eggs and dairy.

Here are a few of the recipes that people were asking for. Great everyone enjoyed themselves.

TOMATO, BASIL, AND TOFU COCKTAIL BITES

Choose a good quality organic firm Tofu about 300 gms as this tofu does not break up

250 gms of tiny tomatoes.

Fresh basil , cut into thin ribbons, ( you can cut several leaves across the leaf with scissors)

Marinade:

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

I tablespoon of gluten free soy sauce

A drizzle of honey

• Combine marinade ingredients well
• Dice the tofu into small squares and marinate for 1- 2 hours
• Pan fry in batches until the tofu begins to crisp up.
• Slice small tomato in half
• Place a piece of tomato with a ribbon of basil sandwiched between the tofu on cocktail toothpicks
• Serve cold.

FISH CAKES WITH DIPPING SAUCE

Fish Cakes

300 g white fish fillets ( I use basa)

2 teaspoons of harissa ( see post 11/14/11)

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

2 tablespoons of corn flour

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon of finely chopped chili

2 tablespoons of chopped spring onions

½ cup finely sliced green beans

Olive oil for frying

• Remove any trace of bone from the fish fillet , cut into small pieces
• Place in food processer and blend until a smooth paste
• Add harissa, fish sauce , cornflour and egg whites, and process until well combined
• With a spatula scrape the mix into a bowl and stir in red chili, spring onion and beans
• For bite size serves form small flat cakes with a teaspoon and your hands
• Drop into hot oiled pan a few at a times and fry on medium heat until golden brown on the underneath,
• Turn the cakes carefully and fry on the other side until also golden brown.
• Remove and drain on absorbent paper.

Serve warm or cold

Dipping Sauce.

1 tablespoon and gluten free soy sauce

1 tablespoon of lime juice

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

A drizzle of honey

• Combine ingredients and whisk together well.

SWEET CORN FRITTERS WITH ROCKET PESTO

Corn Fritters

2 egg whites

½ cup of rice milk

1 can of corn kernels drained.

½ small red capsicum roasted and finely chopped

½ a small red onion

1 tablespoon of basil

¼ cup of rice flour

¼ cup of chick pea flour.

Pinch of bicarbonate soda (baking soda)

• Beat egg white and stir in vegetables and basil
• Add flour until mixture well combined
• To make bite size serves form the fritter using a teaspoon.
• Drop the mixture into heated oiled fry pan.
• Allow the fritter to cook for a minute before sliding your slice under the fritter so it will then slide about and cook for another minute before turning.
• Cook until the other side is browned
• Drain on absorbent paper.

· Serve with Rocket puree and Sour cream (Recipe for Tofu sour cream see post for 27.2. 2010. listed under Tofu)

Rocket Puree:

Blend about 125 gms of rocket with 2 teaspoons of olive oil until well combined.

MARINATED PRAWNS

Quantities are adjusted according to how many people you wish to serve.

1 kg of green prawns makes about 20 serves. For a large gathering we used 5 kg on prawns and adjusted the marinade quantity to suit.

• Shell and clean the prawns and keep refrigerated

Marinade for per 1 Kg of whole prawns

1 clove of garlic finely diced or crushed

1/3 cup of lime juice

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 tablespoons of coriander

2 tablespoons of fresh mint.

¼ cup of canola or olive oil.

• Combine the above ingredients well
• Marinate the prawns for 1-2 hours
• Soak Bamboo sticks
• Place 2 prawns on each skewer.
• Keep refrigerated until ready to cook
• Cook on BBQ and serve

POTATO ROSTI WITH SMOKED SALMON

About 4 large potatoes

2 egg whites

¼ cup (35g) plain flour

I tbsp of soymilk

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Sour Tofu Cream ( see attached recipe)

300g ( 16 slices) smoked salmon

Capers

·         Coarsely grate potatoes, place in colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water.

·         Place grated potato in clean dry tea towel and squeeze out all the moisture.

·         Transfer to a bowl , add egg white, flour , milk and season with salt and pepper.

·         Stir well with a fork until well combined.

·         Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

·         Form the potato by into flattened patties and drop into the pan.

·         Cook for 3 -5 minutes each side  or until golden and cooked through

·         Remove from pan and drain with paper towel

·         Keep warm and repeat making patties with remaining mix.

·         Place on serving platter.

·         Top with sour cream mix and top with smoke salmon slice.

·         Add capers if desired and serve immediately.

CAPONATA CROSTINI

Onion 1 finely diced

Eggplant medium size peeled and chopped

Red Pepper (capsicum) seeded and chopped

Garlic 2 cloves finely diced

Canned tomatoes 1 chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Capers 2 tablespoons

Red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon

Sugar 2 teaspoons

Parsley finely chopped  1 tablespoon

Italian or French bread.

·         Heat some oil and cook onion until soft

·         Add  remainder of oil , add eggplant and cook unit soft ( about 5 minutes)

·         Add capsicum , garlic tomato salt and pepper until soft but still holding shape

·         Stir in vinegar sugar and parsley

·         Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature ( This mixture will keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator)

·         Bake oiled bread until brown,

·         Spread caponata on bread and serve at once

SMOKED SALMON ROLLS

2 foot long whole meal rolls
400gm smoked salmon.
Two boiled eggs yolk removed. Chopped
Diced olives of your choice chopped
Lettuce sliced
Avocado
Lemon juice.

•  Slice bread lengthways
• Mash avocado with a squeeze of lemon
• Spread one side of the bread roll with the avocado spread
• Combine the diced egg white and olive and lay one side  of the roll
• Place smoked salmon over the egg
• Place chopped lettuce over the salmon
• Fold the roll together and press firmly
• Cut the roll into 3 to 4cm slices.

Holding the roll together cover in cling wrap and secure tightly
Refrigerate for at least an hour
Serve on platter or if taking on a pinic wrap the rolls in clean tea towel and place in picnic basket.

PRAWN & HERB FRITTERS

Prawn flesh 350g (or 650 whole prawns to be shelled)

Spring onions ½ cup finely chopped
Garlic 2 tsp crushed
Mint leaves ½ cup coarsely chopped
Coriander leaves ½ cup coarsely chopped
Flour ½ cup
Egg whites 3
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Lime rind and juice 1
Olive oil for frying
Lime wedges for serving

Optional dipping sauce: equal parts lime juice, soy and chilli sauce.

• Roughly chop the prawn flesh and combine with spring onions, chilli, garlic, mint coriander , egg whites, flour, lime juice , rind and pepper and salt.
•  Heat oil in pan
• Place mixture in neat piles and cook over moderate heat until golden brown both sides
• Serve with lime wedges and dipping sauce as desired.

SALAD TARTS

24 slices of white bread

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 small clove of garlic, crushed

250g grape tomatoes

75g kalamata olives pitted and halved

1 roasted red capsicum seeded and finely chopped

1 table spoon of capers drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
24 basil leaves.

· Preheat oven to 190 C
· Using a rolling pin, flatten bread slices on a chopping board
· Cut out 24 rounds from bread slices using a 7 cm pastry cutter
· Combine ¼ cup oil and garlic in a small bowl. grease 12 hole 5cm tart tin trays with oil mixture
· Press bread rounds into the tart tins then using the bottom of a small glass press down firmly on bread to fit into the base and corners
· Brush generously with oil mixture and bake for 20 minutes or until golden set aside and cool
· Combine tomatoes , olives roasted capsicum capers vinegar and remaining oil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper
· Just prior to serving line the bread cases with basil leaves then as a spoonful of tomatoes filling and serve,

SPINACH PASTRIES

This recipe uses the yeast dough pastry.







Filling :
A generous bunch of spinach
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
100 g pine nuts ( 1 cup)
100 g walnuts
100 g sultanas
1 teaspoon ground sumac
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
This will make about 30 pastries.
Use the pastry recipe provided (yeast based recipe) prepare dough.

Prepare filling
· Chop the spinach leaves and squeeze dry
· Sauté onion in olive oil until soft. Add garlic pine nuts and walnuts until browning
· Add spinach and cook 2 -3 minutes until wilted
· Add sumac , sultanas and lemon juice
· Check seasoning


· Pre heat oven to 190degrees C ( 375F )
· Divide pastry into four
· Roll out one part one floured board and cut into circle using a 10mm round pastry cutter.
· Fill each round with a teaspoon of filling and press pastry together to make a three sided parcel. Place on oiled baking tray
· Repeat until all the pastry and filling are used.
· Glaze with egg white
· Bake in oven for 5 minutes before reducing temp to 180 degree C and baking for a further 15 minutes.

STEAMED MUSHROOM BUNS (WITH FLUFFY DOUGH)

FLUFFY DOUGH
230 g Plain flour
3 teaspoons of baking powder
2 tablespoons of cater sugar
½ teaspoon of salt or to taste
80 ml soy or rice milk
60 ml water
3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
· Sift flour with baking powder and salt into a large bowl
· Add sugar and combine well
· Make a well in the centre of the flour
· Combine the oil milk and water , pour into the well and combine with the flour until all liquid is taken up and the dough is formed
· Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead for about 1 minute until elastic. Cover and let it rest at room temperature for about 1 hour.

MUSHROOM FILLING
250 g of mushrooms
3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of Shaoshing (Chinese rice wine) or dry sherry
1 tablespoon of hot chilli sauce
Freshly ground pepper
· Combine soy sauce, honey , Shaoshing or sherry and hot chilli sauce
· Add mushrooms and marinate for one to two hours.
· To prepare the buns divine the pastry into 24 pieces and from a 6 cam disc , using your fingers , with each
· Place a teaspoon of mushroom mix in each pastry round and gather the dough around it. Pinch together the edges and seal with a twist. Place each bun on a 4 cm square of baking paper in a steamer allowing for each bun to swell by about 2 cm.
· Steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cook’s note: these buns can be easily made a day in advance. Steam again for about 5 minutes before serving.

VEGETARIAN RICE PAPER ROLLS

Vegetarian rice paper rolls

Makes 12 rolls
1 packet large rice paper sheets
2 cups of cooked vermicelli noodles
2 cups of watercress, washed trimmed and dressed with juice of one lime
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup of sliced spring onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint and coriander
¼ cup of dry roasted chopped peanuts.

Dipping sauce
¼ cup of mirin
1/4 cup tamari
1 tbs sesame seeds
Juice ¼ lemon

Prepare the ingredients and arrange in separate bowls on the workbench. Combine the dipping sauce ingredient and put into small bowls for dipping.

Fill large bowl with hot water and working with one sheet of rice paper at a time, dip it into the hot water and soak for a moment, remove and lay either directly in the work surface or on a folded tea towel.
Lay a small amount of the noodles in the centre of the rice paper leaving the sides free to fold them into a parcel
Arrange watercress, carrot, spring onion, herbs and small sprinkling of chopped peanuts over the noodles being careful not to over fill them.
Fold the front edge of the rice paper over the filling then fold the side edges in toward the centre. Tuck the sides and roll up into a neat cylinder parcel. Continue until all the filling ingredients have been used.
Serve on a platter with the dipping sauce.

SPINACH MUSHROOM FILO TRIANGLES

Frozen spinach 2 packets (or the equivalent in fresh spinach)
Olive Oil 1 tablespoon plus oil for brushing
Onion 1 finely diced
Garlic 2 cloves finely diced
Whit mushroom 2 cups chopped
Silken tofu drained 1 300 gm packet
Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Salt 1 teaspoon
Freshly ground pepper ½ teaspoon
Pinch of nutmeg
Filo pastry one packet.

• Cook spinach and drain. Squeeze the excess water and remove ( you can use a clean tea towel or fine sieve.)
• Heat oil in large skillet. Add onions and cook until softened
• Add spinach cooking until moister is absorbed
• Transfer to a food processor . Add tofu, lemon juice salt pepper and nutmeg
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• Take ½ the filo keeping the remainder wrapped
• Cut the pastry lengthways into thirds
• Place the first strip on a flat surface covering the remainder with a clean damp towel
• Place a spoonful of filling in the corner of the pastry and fold in triangle shape. Continue folding as if a flag until you end up with a small triangular packet.
• Place on lightly oil baking sheet ( alternatively lined with baking paper) and brush with oil.
• Repeat to use the filling
• Bake until golden brown ( about 15 minutes)
• Serve at room temperature

FRESH SPRING ROLLS & DIPPING SAUCE

8 Rice papers
2 lettuce leaves roughly shredded
8 cooked prawns peeled and cut in half lengthwise
2 spring onions cut very thinly on the diagonal
1 Lebanese cucumber shredded very finely
Half carrot shredded very finely
Half cup of bean sprouts
2 tsp garlic, crushed
I tbsp pickled ginger finely shredded
16 lengths of garlic chives.

1. Dunk the rice paper wrappers briefly in warm water and then lay them out on a bench
2. Place a small amount of lettuce followed by the prawns, followed by a small amount of other fillings except the chives, towards the end closest to you..
3. Tuck the sides and then do one roll. Then place the two sections of garlic chives, leaving about 2 cm hanging out. Roll up firmly and neatly.
4. Serve with a dipping sauce.

You can vary the fillings, make them vegetarian or use different protein fillings. Chinese roast pork and chicken work well.

BROAD BEAN PATTIES

Dried Broad beans 2cups
Water
Spring onions 1 cup chopped
Parsley ¼ cup chopped
Corianders leaves 2 tablespoons chopped
Garlic 3 cloves
Salt 1 ½ teaspoons
Pepper freshly ground
Hot chilli pepper ¼ teaspoon
Bi carbonate ¼ teaspoon
Sesame seeds optional
Oil for frying
• Place beans in a bowl and cover well with cold water. Leave to soak for 2 days changing the water 2 to 3 times
• Drain the beans and remove the skins by pressing each firmly with fingers, the beans should pop out otherwise tear skin and squeeze
• Pass the clean beans through a food grinder combine with spring onion , parsley, coriander, garlic, salt , pepper and soda Pas through the grinder twice more and knead inot a past
• Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes
• With wet hands shape about a tablespoon of mixture into think patties about 4 cm in diameter,. Dip each side in sesame seeds if desired
• Place on a tray and leave at room temperature for about 20 minutes
• Heat oil to about 180 degree F or until a cube of bread turns golden in about a minute
• Fry each of the patties a few at a time until golden brown . each should take about 5 minutes
• Drain on paper towels
• Serve hot with flat bread and tahini salad
For a main dish the pattied can be serves with an assorted mix of salald vegetables such as tomato, cucumbers capsicum and lettuce