Monday, October 15, 2012

Honey I'm Home - and I've bought company!

So hi and a massive welcome to my first ever post….funny it should be about food, as Mr OC and I are huge foodies.                                                                                                                          
So I’m thinking this will be a regularly updated page…….our idea of a good time is either,
A) a massive cook-up with friends, or
B) dining out, once again with friends……there’s one thing I love more than good food, and thats good friends……..
One of my FF’s  Chris,


Me and my FF, Rizo..

(no, not Friend’s Forever, that’s so yesterday, she’s one of my Fave Friends),  is always chasing me for my recipes…..but mostly they're all in my head, so, I try to write them down for her, but now, she can just find them all right here…..
ENJOY!
“Hi Honey, forgot to tell you we’re having company…”
wow, how many times have we heard that before??? 
“When are they coming honey??? Huh??  in an hour….cooooool???”
So organised ladies, wanna easy peasy throw together simple dish with stuff normally in your pantry?? 
Then read on…
My easy go-to recipe to impress even the die hard meat eater…

Simple ingredients straight from the kitchen!

LENTIL AND ORANGE SALAD
(AND YOU CAN SERVE IT WITH ANYTHING, DUCK, CHICKEN, LAMB RACK – YUM)  
I’ve been throwing this together for years and it just gets better every time – if thats possible… Mr OC swears he ‘does not do legumes’, but somehow I manage to get this one by him, (and his blokey bloke mates), without so much as a raised eyebrow….Often we can’t decide on dinner as we are both huge foodies. Although my taste lends towards healthy, chicken, lean beef, hubby’s leans towards anything with a 1000 calories or more!! Duck, Pork Belly, Rack of Lamb (fat attached), so we can do both here as this will go with ANYTHING! 

Lovely Fresh Watercress – yumm…
So, what do you need:: (for enough for two of you)
3 tsp red wine vinegar 
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbs oil (I use grape seed oil or lemon myrtle, but whichever takes your taste buds fancy)
400 grams can brown lentils (you could prepare your own, but this is about being quick and handy)
1/2 bunch watercress (you can use spinach leaves or rocket if no rocket available, although it is lovely)
1/2 red onion thinly sliced 
1 orange                                                                                          
So, here’s the easy part……
1. segment the oranges, catching the juice as you do (or if you’ve got some juice in the fridge that’ll work too, about 1/4 cup)…..
2. Add to the juice the vinegar, mustard, oil, pinch of salt n pepper, and whisk to combine..
3. In your salad bowl you’ll toss in the watercress, lentils, (I like to rinse mine first in a colander, gets rid of the gooey stuff), sliced onion and orange segments and your dressing and whoola, your done!
                                                                                  

Lentil and Orange Salad – done!
                                                                                                  
Easy Peasy Orange and Lentil Salad…your guests will be asking for the recipe, guaranteed, mine always do! 
***Of course you can add anything else you like to your salad. Fresh herbs, artichoke, asparagus….the dish will be limited only by your imagination….serve it with meat, fish, chicken….whatever’s in your fridge!  Mr OC won this round – so a massive lump of lamb it was…..
           

Yes, looks huge…but was for two! TASTY!!!
                                                                                  
You can make it your own, or stick with this one….I found it years ago in my No #1 cookbook for inspiration – the ABC Delicious….’quick smart cook’.                                                                                           Hope you enjoy, let me know…
Tra' for now lovely ladies...

Your Pal,

Maria x x 


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