HEALTHY NIGHT IN

It's a Tuesday night. No husband. Bravo TV line up is tonight's date. What to eat?

BE HEALTHY - BE HEALTHY. It's the new mantra that's getting me through NYC. Too many good restaurants can be dangerous.

So I thought it's time to get colourful. The more colourful, the healthier it has to be.

Ingredients:

• 1 x sweet potato, cut into chips
• 1/2 bunch kale, chopped
• 2 x capsicum, diced (use a variety of colours)
• 2 x tomatoes, diced 
• 2 tbs sunflower seeds
• 2 tbs pumpkin seeds
• 5 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs balsamic glaze
• 10 Brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 tbs maple syrup 
• 1 tsp whole-grain mustard
• 1 tsp chili flakes, optional

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 250C (410F).
2. Add the cut sweet potato to a plastic bag, add two tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper and shake. 
3. Line the chips on a lined baking tray (you may need two trays).  Cook for roughly 45-50mins. Keep an eye on them.
4. Season the chips again when they're cooked. Add chili flakes if you like.
5. Place the Brussels on a lined baking tray. 
6. Mix maple syrup, two tablespoons of oil, whole grain mustard in a bowl. Pour over the Brussels.
7. Cook the sprouts in the oven for 40mins.
8. Mix kale, capsicum, tomato, sunflower and pumpkin seeds in a bowl. Dress with olive oil and balsamic glaze. 

To be enjoyed in separate bowls, or combined on a plate.

MEXICAN MADDNESS

After indulging ourselves in Mexican cuisine - while visiting Monterrey, for only 3 days - to mark the 1 month off Mexican food (coincidentally on Valentine's Day), it was time to celebrate.

I really wanted to make a 'pollo con mole' that's mole chicken. So I asked my friend Lalo for some advice, he said "If you want to make it you can, but just so you know, most people in Mexico use mole from a jar." Normally I don't like to do this, but looking at a recipe I realised that, the jar is the way to go.

If you want to attempt - go for it, and please tell me how you go - here's a great mole recipe to follow, but it's not the easiest! 

Don't get scared, I'm giving you the FULL dinner run down. Sides, salads and all!

Mole Chicken (serves 4)

Ingredients: 
Chicken

• 4 x chicken breasts 
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs crushed garlic
• 1 tbs Mexican spices
• 1/2 dried habanero chili 
• Juice of one lime  
• 4 tbs mole sauce

Sweet potato chips

• 1 x sweet potato, chopped into chip
• 2 tbs oil 
• Salt and pepper

Salsa

• 1 can of corn
• 3 x tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup coriander (cilantro), chopped 
• 2 x shallots, chopped 

Sides

• 2 x zucchinis, shaved 
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• Lettuce leaves
• Guacamole
• Ricotta Salata, garnish  

Method: 

1. Follow instructions to make mole sauce. 
2. Pre-heat oven to 250C (410F). 
3. Mix the chicken marinade together, pour over chicken breasts - either use a bag to coat the chicken, or dip into a bowl. 
4. Place the chicken on a lined baking tray and put in to oven for 40-50mins (depends on your oven). 
5. Add the cut sweet potato to a plastic bag, add the oil, salt and pepper and shake. 
6. Line the chips on a lined baking tray (you may need two trays).  Cook for roughly 45-50mins. Keep an eye on them. 
7. To make the salsa, combine all ingredients into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 
8. For the zucchini, shave with a vegetable grater. Only grate until the middle spongy part of the vegetable. 

Assembling: 

1. Place the chicken on a plate. Pour mole over the center of the chicken. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds. 
2. Grate ricotta salata over the black beans.
3. Put the salsa in a bowl. 
4. Season the chips again and put in a bowl.
5. Add the grated zucchini to a large bowl. 
6. Put the lettuce leaves in a bowl. 
7. Serve with Mexican salsas and guacamole.  

NB: I've been trying to stay on the healthy side so no tortilla wraps or chips (hence the lettuce and zucchini), but don't let me stop you! Enjoy it.

GUEST SPOT: 5THANDJANE

The snow must go on...no wait that's SHOW! Fashion Week doesn't stop for anything! Not even Nemo. Saturday morning, a blanket of white covered New York City, except Lincoln Center. It was full steam on the runway, and thanks to 5thandJane I was able to attend, Mara Hoffman Fall/Winter 2013. Read below...

FAIRY BREAD CAKE!

That's right, CAKE!

It was Mr. S birthday this week, being away from home I wanted to make something extra special for him. He loves his kids-birthday-party-food, you know, chocolate crackles and fairy bread. Don't judge, you know you love it too!

But I didn't want to have a plate of fairy bread, I wanted to make a cake. A tower of fairy bread that was completely coated in 100s & 1000s (for the Americans out there, that's sprinkles!). 

Off I went to my resource, Google images, to find some inspiration...no inspiration!

OK, time to put my brain into gear and think for myself...I've got it!

And now, you've got it...Enjoy reliving your childhood!

Ingredients:
1 x loaf of white bread
NB: keep the ends of the loaf 
1 x pkt 100s & 1000s (sprinkles)
1 x stick butter, softened
2 tbs jam

Method:

1. Cut the crusts off the loaf, leaving a square shape of white bread. Use one end of the loaf (cut into square) as the base. 
2. Place 100s & 1000s into a deep plate (wide enough for the entire stack to be dipped).
3. Butter the base of the loaf and dip into the 100s & 1000s bowl and place on whatever plate you're using to display. 
4. Continue to butter and dip the rest of the loaf.
5. Every 4 slices, add a slice of bread with jam, just to keep it stable. 
6. Once you have the whole stack ready, butter the sides of the stack.
   HINT: to make it easier to spread across, work the butter on a chopping board - spreading it over and over again. 
7. Place the end piece of the loaf on top of the stack, tilt and hold the bottom of the loaf, press together, and dip into the 100s & 1000s. On all four sides.
8. Put the stack back onto the display plate, and disregard the end piece of the loaf (not the base). 
9. If there are any missing parts, just sprinkle 100s & 1000s over it a lightly press down. 

If you need any assistance - please leave a comment below and I'll get back to you.

GUEST SPOT: 5THANDJANE

Ahead of a busy week in New York, better known as Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, 5thandJane kindly offered me a guest spot on their blog. Here's to a week of amazing fashion shows and parties! Cheers...

BAKED OATMEAL (PORRIDGE)

Oatmeal or porridge, whatever you want to call it, this IS the breakfast of champions. Great for a winter's day...eating it is like snuggling in a warm fluffy bed.

I was introduced to baked oatmeal, on one of my many visits to Blue Bird, on an especially cold morning in New York. It looked like a muffin, but it wasn't, they said it was oatmeal but it didn't look like it. I knew it would be delicious, everything at Blue Bird is. I was intrigued when they said it is served with steamed milk. After finishing it, I was hooked, but I knew I had to attempt it on my own, to control the sugar intake.

My version, for you to enjoy! 

BAKED (ADDICTIVE) OATMEAL (for 2 x 18oz ovenproof dishes)

Ingredients (serves 2):
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup roughly chopped nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, or walnuts)
1 cup milk  (I used Goat's milk)
1 small egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 banana, sliced
1/3 cup of blueberries (or blackberries)
Butter, for greasing

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (205C).
2. Grease two small oven proof dishes (18oz = 2 1/2 cups).
3. Mix the DRY ingredients in a bowl (oats, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon).
4. Whisk WET ingredients in another bowl (milk, maple syrup, vanilla, egg).
5. Arrange the banana slices to the base of the oven proof dishes.
6. Divide the dry ingredients between the two dishes.
7. Top the two oats with the milk mixture, again divide equally. 
8. Sprinkle top with the blueberries. 
9. Tap lightly on the bench to make sure the milk mixture settles. 
10. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes (check at 30 minutes as each oven is different). 

Optional: you can rehydrate with warmed milk after it's baked.