CURED SALMON SPREAD FOR XMAS!

Impress your family this Christmas with this amazing spread! It’s perfect for that mid-morning, present opening, mimosa drinking part of the day!

I made this last year and will be making it again this year. Everyone loved it. And it’s not to heavy a snack - won’t kill the lunchtime vibe.

You do need to start preparing 2-3 days before Xmas. But preparation is actually very quick and easy. The end result is very delicious and super impressive. Check out the recipe below. You could also use trout and you can mix up the sides with what you prefer. I found this combo to be perfect though :)

GIN BEETROOT CURED SALMON with HORSRADDISH LABNEH and PICKLED SIDES!

INGREDIENTS

- 800-1kg of salmon (skinned and boned)

- 10 Tbsp rock salt

- 6 Tbsp raw sugar

- 1 bunch of dill finely chopped

- 1 bunch of taragon, finely chopped

- 2 beetroots, grated

- Zest of 1 lemon

- 1/2 cup of gin (or vodka)

SIDES

- Cubed beetroot

- Cut up cucumber

- Avocado

- Pickled onions

- Lemon slices

- Cornicions

- Crackers and pita or wraps (toasted)

- Dill for garnish (1/2 punnet)

YOGURT

- 500g of Greek yogurt

- Horse radish cream

- Salt & pepper

- 1/2 punnet of dill finely chopped

METHOD

- The fish needs to cure for 48-72 hours. So for Xmas I like to prepare it on the evening of the 22nd so it’s ready for morning of the 25th.

- The yogurt needs to drain for 1 day so I like to prep that morning of the 24th.

- For the salmon: find a dish that the salmon will fit snuggly in. Spread half the salt and sugar into the bottom of the dish. Add half the dill, tarragon, beetroot, lemon zest and gin.

- Place the salmon on top and add the other half of ingredients.

- Cover with cling wrap and weigh down with something heavy; like cans from the pantry. Leave in the fridge for 48-72 hours. (In this case it’s 60 hours).

- Remove from the fridge and use a spoon to scrape the mixture off the fish. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towel.

- Thinly slice the salmon and arrange on platter with the sides and the yogurt.

TO PREP YOGURT

- Place a metal spaghetti strainer over a saucepan and line the strainer with clean chux cloth or cheese cloth. Put all the yogurt on the cloth. Cover with gladwrap and leave in the fridge for 24 hours. All the liquid drains from the yogurt.

- Transfer the yogurt to a bowl and add horseradish and dill and salt and pepper, taste to know how much horseradish to add (a little at a time).

Have the best Xmas everyone!

SUGAR FREE APPLE BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE

Sometimes we just feel like dessert! And at those times it is still ideal to look for sugar free options.

You really can’t beat the combo of warm cinnamon apples, buttery sweet crumble and cold ice cream. Yum! So let’s do it! You won’t even be able to tell there is no sugar - this recipe is sweet and really hits the spot.

Team it with a protein ice cream or Halotop ice cream that is low in sugar, or some coconut yogurt.

INGREDIENTS & METHOD

- 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped

- 3 pink lady apples, peeled and chopped

- Cinnamon

- Lakanto sweetner

Boil the apples until soft but still a little firm. Then strain out the water and sprinkle cinnamon and lakanto to taste.

+1 punnet of blackberries!

CRUMBLE

- 1 cup rolled oats

- 1/2 almond meal

- 4 Tbsp lakanto

- 2 Tbsp cinnatmon

- 1/2 cup shredded coconut

- Salted butter (approx 125g) melted to mix all ingredients to be moist.

Spray a dish with coconut oil and lay the apples down and mix in the blackberries. Lay your oat mix evenly on top of the fruit. Bake on 180 for approx. 30 minutes or until you see the top browning. Dish up with your choice of ice cream/cream.

FETA DRESSED SALAD

Another day another Salad!

This one is very simple. It has a nice crunch and a tasty tangy dressing. Perfect for Spring/Summer. A great accompaniment for a BBQ or for any side of protein. It’s also a good base salad - so if you want to add other things to it you can get creative. You could also just opt to take the feta dressing recipe and add that to any other salad.

Always choose the freshest ingredients from the market. The cos lettus for example is just sooooooo much better form the market, rather than supermarket!

SALAD INGREDIENTS

- 1 large cos lettus

- 1 radicchio

- 1/2 bunch of dill

- 1/2 cup of pinenuts

- salt & pepper

- optional spring onion or red onion

DRESSING

Blend together and pour over just before serving

- 150g feta

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

- Juice of 1 lemon

- 1 tsp dijon

- 1/2 tsp crushed garlic

- 1 tsp lakanto sweetner

- 1/4-1/3 cup of water to thin

Spring Papaya Salad

Here it is! A fresh, sweet and perfectly balanced salad for your next BBQ.

This salad is sooooo simple and so satisfying. Such a perfect accompaniment with any protein. Treat yourself or impress your guests.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 papaya, cubed

- 5-6 truss tomatos, cubed

- 1/4 purple onion, finely sliced

- 1 mozeralla ball, shredded or cubed

- bunch of basil, chopped

- 2 baby cos, to layer the bowl

- olive oil

- salt & pepper

- balsamic glaze

METHOD

- Arrange the baby cos to cover the bowl base.

- Mix all ingredients together in a seperate bowl and then sprinkle salt and pepper, olive oil and balsamic glaze.

- Pour over the lettus.

I’d love to hear about how you enjoyed this one :) Comment here or send me an email with you thoughts and/or any ideas for types of recipes you might like in the future: wendy@wendylaroche.com

SALAD TRICKS #2 Salad Toppers Edition

Salad Toppers. Yum Yum.

I love salads. But sometimes I need some new flavours or textures or just something different to make it more exciting. It’s hard to think of new ideas all the time, and I have realised that sometimes some simple toppers provide that new little adventure on the salad. So here are 3 salad topper options that I have been enjoying lately.

PICKLED ONIONS

- 2-3 purple onions

-  3/4 cup of apple cider vinegar

- 2 Tbsp lakanto

METHOD

- Put vinegar and sweetner in a jar and shake to combine.

- Add the onions and press down with a spoon.

- Leave for an hour before using.

- Store in the fridge afterwards.

ROASTED TAMARI SEEDS

- 400g Pumpkin seeds

- 400g Sunflower seeds

- 200g Sessame seeds

- Tamari

METHOD

- Preheat oven to 180.

- Line baking trays and spray with olive oil.

- Put all seeds in a bowl and mix in Tamari until all seeds are coated and there is no residue at the bottom of the bowl.

- Bake in the oven for approx. 20 min. At halfway I take them out and stir them around and swap so they both get a turn on the top shelf.

- Let cool before putting in a jar for storage.

SHAVED FENNEL

- 1 Fennel, shaved or thinly sliced

- 2 celery stick thinly sliced

- Olive oil, approx. 1-2 Tbsp

-Salt

METHOD

- Mix all together in a bowl using hands to massage the oil into the fennel.

For SALAD TRICKS #1 post click HERE