Headed to The Show

We are very excited to be heading out to The Food Show here in Christchurch. We attended last year's events and loved the sampling and sights. We always make these events a family affair and get a real sampling of what is new and fresh out there in the ever progressive food world. We have hit up food shows events like this in cities across the world. Las Vegas, Barcelona, Seattle, Houston, and San Francisco are just a few we thought of. To taste amazing foods from around the world and be introduced to fusions is priceless so we highly recommend going in your neck of the woods. Food is life so enjoy it no matter where you are in the world.

We were scouring The Food Show website for a useful recipe that all of our readers would love and it comes to us from Jax Hamilton who will be presenting today!

From The Food Show website

Jax Hamilton's Herbed Potato Cake

Prep: 15min
Cooking: 40min

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium-sized onions, sliced thinly
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 large potatoes, peeled, sliced thinly
• 4 eggs, lighly beaten
• 4 Tbsp fresh herbs (choose dependent on meat)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• knob of butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

Method

Serves 4

If you are looking for something new and easy to do with potatoes, this is the recipe for you. It can feed two people or, if you have unexpected guests, it is really easy to stretch by adding another potato and another egg. It's versatile enough as a recipe to change and expand depending on palates and likes vs don't likes. Different herbs can be added dependent on your meat choice: mint and rosemary for lamb; tarragon and lemon for chicken; a nice big dollop of horseradish for beef. For a more robust cake, bacon, mushrooms and cheese can be added, too! Allow to cool and take along to a picnic if you don't want it for dinner. Can be cooked on the BBQ or in the oven.

Preheat oven to 180°C or if cooking on a BBQ, ensure it is one with a hood!

In a large flat, ovenproof frying pan, heat the oil and throw in onions and garlic. Cook until translucent, then gently place in the potatoes. Being careful not to break up the potatoes, toss them in the oil, garlic and onion mixture for about 5 minutes. Remove the frying pan from the heat, place potato mixture in a sieve and drain. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Place beaten eggs in a large bowl. Put potato and onion mixture into the beaten eggs along with the herbs. Season and mix, then allow the mixture to soak for a further 5 minutes.

Take the same frying pan and melt the butter with the oil over a medium heat. Pour in the potato and egg mixture. Press down with the back of a large spoon to make a pancake shape - nice and even - and cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan then place in the oven or pull the hood down. Cook for 5-10 minutes until golden brown.

Cut into wedges and serve with your BBQ or roast, or allow to cool and take along to picnics.

Bananas: Fair and Delicious

We have been doing some serious sampling in the kitchen recently and especially delving into the world of children's food. As we explore the essentials of a child's diet one worldwide essential keeps coming back to the table. Bananas. Being that they are the 4th largest food staple in the world* bananas are a very smart way to shop and feed your family on a budget while giving them mega benefits. Unlike most fruits, they are available year round. We opt for the Fairtrade variety due to the ethical principles involved in their growth. We have never been so pleased with the flavor of a banana either. These above were delicious and we are frying them up for morning tea. See recipe we plan to use below!

Fried Green Bananas Recipe

Ingredients:

Green bananas

Oil for frying (a healthy oil, of course!)

Cinnamon, Salt or powered sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel your green bananas. This may be a little hard to do as the skin doesn't separate easily from the fruit when it is not yet ripe. If you need to, use a knife to remove whatever skin remains behind.

2. Cut the bananas into thin, quarter inch slices.

3. Heat the oil in a frying pan until it is very hot. Add the banana slices, making sure they're all flat against the bottom of the pan.

Original recipe from Penniless Parenting

Grilled Bananas from Salt on the Pier in New Zealand.

Here is proof that the banana trend is catching. We dined on these at Salt on the Pier and the chef chose to grill these. We tried to verify if that were Fairtrade to no avail but were well received at our table by adults and children alike.

Just to name a few banana benefits...
combat nausea in pregnant women, aide in digestion, curb depression, shine your shoes, treat mosquito bites,protects the entire bowel system, sharpen awareness, and aide in the fight against osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney cancer and blindness.

The nutritional benefits of a banana are truly helpful in all stages of life development and growth with a delicious makeup that is rich in fibre, magnesium, calcium, potassium and Vitamin B6.

Click here for more banana benefits from Food Matters online.

Why buy Fairtrade?

Not all locations have Fairtrade Bananas available. We consider ourselves lucky that we are able to get them and have them as part of our diet. They promote small farms, equitable distribution and no forced labour. You wouldn't think that all of these issues take a toll on the quality of your food and its price but they do.

Bananas bearing the FAIRTRADE Certification Mark have been produced by small farmer organizations or in plantations that meet high social and environmental standards.  Farmers who produce Fairtrade certified bananas are guaranteed a Fairtrade minimum price to cover the costs of sustainable production and a Fairtrade Premium of US$ 1 per 18.14kg-box of bananas to invest in projects in their communities.

*According to the Fair Trade Website (http://fairtrade.org.nz/farmers/fairtrade-bananas). Updated 2012. New Zealand.

Anzac Biscuits: A Delicious Piece of History

Photo courtesy FoodTV.co.nz

This past Thursday marked our second Anzac Day and though it is unknown to most of the world, April 25th has great significance in Australia and New Zealand. It commemorates the  Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) World War I battle fought in Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire. These biscuits were sent to the brave soldiers and originally known for their hard texture and long shelf life. Today they are loved by New Zealand natives and visitors alike. 

The recipe below is from Food TV with a prep time of only 20 minutes!


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Most notably there are no eggs in the recipe. During World War I eggs were scarce and bakers had to be creative and find another long lasting binding element hence the syrup, sugar and butter. 

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Giving this quick and easy recipe will have you connecting with a delicious bit of history.


Anzac Biscuits

yield 12 medium biscuits

180 grams of butter, melted 
1 cup of all-purpose flour 
1 cup of sugar 
1 cup of unsweetened desiccated coconut 
1 cup of rolled oats 
1 Tbsp of golden syrup 
1 tsp of baking soda 
1/4 tsp of salt

Heat the oven to 180C. 
While pre-heating, line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. 
Melt the butter in a small pan, be careful not to burn. Add baking soda and golden syrup and stir well. Remove the pan and set aside.
In a bowl, mix in the flour, sugar, coconut, oats and salt. 
Add the melted butter mix to the bowl and stir in. 
Roll 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough into small balls and flatten between the palms of your hands. Place dough on baking tray allow a gap of around 5 cm to allow fbiscuit to expand. 
Bake the biscuits for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them sit on the baking tray for 5 minutes. 
Remove the biscuits from the tray and cool on a wire rack. 

Note: Store biscuits in an airtight container

FoodTV Pin Your Favorite Recipe

We are so excited to announce that we have just received an exclusive invitation to join a league of foodies at FoodTV and contribute to their Pin Your Favorite Recipe board! Here, they gather some of the best recipes and foods to share so we can all have a bite. We are so thankful for generous cooks in the kitchen. Just check out some of our favorite one's so far. What was our first pin to the board? Our simple and delicious Focaccia Bread Recipe. You will love it and all of the other amazing finds on FoodTV and their amazing Pinterest inspirations.

Cheesy Buns pinned by Dawn Rohde

Soba Noodles pinned by Dawn Rohde

Fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella app pinned by Rosie Hudson

Check out this short and *sweet video pinned by Melissa Kelly and see how simple it is to create this fun little treat for snack time or tea. All you will need are small sugar cookies, fresh made simple icing and sprinkles. Tip: Allow to fully dry before serving.

(adjust blue volume bars to mute)

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