Guacamole in Wonton Baskets

With Christmas just around the corner, these little tidbits are perfect for holiday entertaining. This recipe is adapted from Australian Good Taste magazine. Avocados contain more potassium than bananas and are high in vitamin A. Click here for more nutritional information.

Makes 36
36 wonton wrappers
2 avocados, halved, stones removed, peeled and mashed
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
5-6 drops of red Tabasco pepper sauce
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped or grated
1/3 cup fresh coriander, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

Preheat oven to 190c. Spray thirty six 30ml (1 1/2 tbs) capacity mini muffin pans with oil to lightly grease. Place wonton wrapper in each pan and press to line the base and sides. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Set aside in the pans to cool.

Mix all other ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Spoon guacamole evenly among the wonton crisps and arrange on a platter. Serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Talk about festive colors! This was a big hit with the family so I'm sure our friends will enjoy as well. Try experimenting with other savory fillings (pâté, crab dip, salmon mousse etc.).

Chili Beef on Avocado

A quick weeknight meal to make. The cocoa powder will remind you of the Mexican sauce Mole. Another ingredient to help spice this dish is cinnamon. Did you know that the American outlaw, Jesse James (1847-1882), refused to rob a bank in McKinney, Texas because that is where his favorite chili parlor was located (urban legend?......you decide). Chili originated in Texas and not Mexico although tourist destinations in Mexico do serve it. This recipe is adapted from ABC Delicious magazine.

Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
500g beef mince
400g can chopped tomatoes
125ml (1/2 cup) beef stock or water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
420g red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 avocados, halved with stone removed
steamed white rice, thinly sliced red onion

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Increase heat to high and add beef and cook 4-5 minutes until browned. Reduce heat to medium and stir in tomatoes, beef stock, tomato paste, cocoa powder, chili powder and dried oregano. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the kidney beans and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Divide rice among serving bowls and top with avocado halves and chili. Garnish with onion and coriander.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Enjoy this with a really cold beer!

Pizza with Fennel Sausage, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Pizza is probably the most globally recognizable food today and was originally a food for the poor but it has now become a dish for everyone. Its existence started around the year 1000 in the city of Naples. At that time pizzas were prepared with lard, cheese and herbs. The pizza as we know it today was developed after the introduction of the tomato which originally came from the Andes. And of course, the most famous pizza of all is the "pizza Margherita". According to the story, in 1889 the Italian monarch King Umberto and Queen Margherita were touring Naples. In order to impress them and to show his patriotic zeal, baker Raffaele chose to top flat bread with food that would best represent the colors of Italy: red (tomato), white (mozzarella cheese) and green (basil). The king and queen were so impressed that word quickly reached the masses. The end results were that the dish was well received and soon others began copying it. Click here for more pizza history. This recipe is adapted from the New Zealand food magazine, Dish.

Pizza, like any other dish, evolves differently when it's brought to an environment other than the original one. It mingles with the customs, the culture and the ingredients of the new place. To witness this, all one has to do is visit another country and see which toppings are popular for that area.

Serves 6

Dough
400g flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Topping
1 cup thick Italian tomato sauce
500g Italian pork and fennel sausages
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ball fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces

For the dough, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine the water and oil and pour into the flour. Mix to form a soft dough, adding more water if necessary. Remove from bowl and place on a lightly floured wooden surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 200c. Halve the dough and roll out on a lightly floured wooden surface into 2 rectangles about 35cm x 12cm. Place on a lightly oiled baking tray. Spread both pizzas with tomato sauce. Take the sausages out of the casings, break into pieces and scatter over the dough. Cook pizzas for about 12 minutes or until the base is crispy and the sausage is cooked.

Meanwhile combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, olives and the oil in a bowl and season to taste. Transfer the pizzas to a serving board and top with the tomato mixture. Serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Great flavors and nothing beats homemade pizza! I used my food processor to form the dough. The little white balls are fresh 'pearl' mozzarella.....a new size for moi! Get creative and use your favorite sausage!

Sardinian Risotto

This risotto is very different from the Northern Italian risotto and is more similar to that of the Spanish paella. This was due to the Spaniards, who ruled for centuries, who lent the most pronounced accents to foods and wines of Sardinia. The traditional foods of Sardinia were always more influenced by the land than the sea mainly due to the fact that Sardinia's coast has always been victim to invasion so the Sardinian people found refuge in the mountainous hinterland of the island. Today, much has changed and now seafood has been embraced by Sardinians. Sardinia is Italy's leading producer of organic produce. Sardinia, more than any other region, is a land of shepherds, whose Razza Sarda sheep produce some of the best Pecorino cheeses in Italy. For more information click here. This recipe is adapted from Antonio Carluccio's book, My Favourite Italian Recipes. I love Antonio's passion for food and when my husband and I were in London in July, we ate at his restaurant, Carluccio's in South Kensington. Great food and atmosphere!

Serves 6
6 tablespoons olive oil
600g risotto rice (Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
75g Pecorino cheese, grated
40g butter
freshly ground black pepper

For the Ragú
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
250g minced lean prok or veal
1 small glass of red wine
200ml chicken stock
200g polpa di pomodoro (tomato pulp)
1/4 teaspoon good saffron powder

First make the ragú. Heat the oil in a pan, add onion and fry gently until softened. Then add the minced meat and fry until brown. Stir in the wine, stock, tomato pulp, saffron and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the heat and set the ragú aside.

For the risotto, heat oil in a pan, add rice and stir for about 5 minutes over a gentle heat to coat each grain with oil. Gradually add half the ragú and stir for 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the moisture level and add some hot water if necessary; the rice will absorb a lot of the liquid. Add the rest of the ragú and stir for 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked. The consistency should be quite loose. Stir in the cheese, butter and some pepper. Leave to rest for a few minutes and then serve.

The Culinary Chase's Note: This was delicious and very hearty. I only used 300g of risotto as I wanted to be able to taste both rice and meat. Letting this dish sit before serving is key as it allows the flavors to develop.

Loy Krathong 'Festival of Lights'

This Thai festival is celebrated every year. Loy means to float and krathong is a small raft. This festival was adapted by Buddhists in Thailand as a ceremony to honor the Lord Buddha. Apart from venerating the Buddha with light (the candle on the raft), the act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot. The flame is believed to signify longevity, fulfillment of wishes and release from sins. Click here for more details on Loy Krathong.

Originally, the krathong was made of banana leaves or the layers of the trunk of a banana tree or a spider lily plant. A krathong contains food, betel nuts, flowers, joss sticks, candle and coins. The making of a krathong is much more creative these days as many more materials are available.

Traditional food for this festival include: Krathong Tong (minced chicken and vegetables in crispy Krathong baskets); Nua Yang (marinated strips of beef, grilled and served on sticks); Tom Jerdt Tao-Hoo Moo Sap (vegetables and minced pork in a broth flavored with garlic and coriander root); Nua Pat Prik Thai Dum (stir-fried beef in an aromatic black pepper sauce); Gaeng Khua Gai (curry made with tender pieces of chicken breast and pineapple cooked in coconut milk infused with herbs and spices); Khao Suey (steamed Thai fragrant rice); Pat Pak Tofu (stir fried mixed vegetables with bean curd).

The Culinary Chase's Note: The building we live in had their own Loy Krathong celebrations last night complete with krathong making demonstrations, a special buffet for this event, traditional Thai dance provided by the staff topped off by setting the krathongs free in the swimming pool. A great time had by all and I enjoyed learning something new about the Thai culture. Saturday, 24th November is the official night for Loy Krathong as it falls on the day of the November full moon. A great opportunity to get a view from a rooftop to see all the lovely krathong's floating along all of Thailand's canals and waterways.

Crunchy Parmesan Chicken

This is a great recipe for picnics, pot luck dinners or for when you're expecting a crowd for dinner. The chicken can be served hot, room temperature or cold. This dish is adapted from an Australian cookbook called, 'Coast' and this recipe is from chef Kate Lamont of Lamont's East Perth restaurant. I haven't eaten at this restaurant, but if the food and wine is anything like the restaurants in Margaret River, you will most certainly want to stop in for a bite!

Serves 6
9 tomatoes, cut in half
olive oil for drizzling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 stalks of rosemary, leaves picked
4 stalks of thyme, leaves picked
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 chicken pieces (thighs and breast)
125g melted butter

Salad
3 tablespoons chardonnay vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
assorted lettuce leaves
24 asparagus spears, blanched
3 avocados, halved and sliced

Preheat oven to 120c (250f). Place tomato halves, cut side up, on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, rosemary and thyme. Bake for 1 hour or until tomatoes have shrunk by half. Remove and set aside then increase oven temperature to 180c (350f).

In a bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, parsley and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken pieces in melted butter then roll in the crumb mixture. Place chicken in a baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes. For the salad, make a dressing by combining the vinegar with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss salad leaves in the dressing.

To serve, place some salad leaves on each of six plates and arrange two roasted tomato halves, four asparagus spears and some sliced avocado on the leaves. Top with more salad leaves, another tomato half and more avocado. Rest two chicken pieces on top of the salad.

The Culinary Chase's Note: I used deboned chicken thighs and the meat cooked this way was very tender and moist. Add a bit of freshly chopped rosemary to the bread crumb mixture for added flavor.

Pumpkin Gnocchi

Gnocchi (pronounced nyohk-kee) is a small dumpling and is most often made with potatoes, although it can also be made from flour, squash, cheese or even polenta. Gnocchi is served much in the same manner as pasta, with sauce or some butter and sage or Parmesan cheese. Gnocchi recipes date back to the twelfth century and are most common in the northern regions of Italy. To make the perfect gnocchi the potato needs to be floury, with minimum water content. The best are old Russet potatoes which are low in water and high in starch. Round (white or red) or Yukon potatoes would be too waxy and therefore would make the gnocchi either too heavy or too gummy and would cause them to break apart in the boiling water. This recipe is adapted from Donna Hay, 'The New Cook'. Sage is a pungent herb with a flavor that rarely diminishes over long cooking times.

Serves 4
750g pumpkin, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 egg yolk
Parmesan cheese shavings

Butter Sauce
125g butter
small handful of sage leaves (more if you like)

Place pumpkin in a saucepan of boiling water and cook until soft. Drain and press pumpkin through a potato ricer or a sieve. Return pumpkin to saucepan and add butter. Cook, stirring, over low heat until pumpkin has thickened and dried. Remove pan from heat and stir through flour, egg yolk and ground pepper. Mixture should be a soft dough. Roll tablespoons of mixture in the palm of your hand to form a flat disk. Press with fork on one side to indent.

To make sauce, place butter and sage in a saucepan over low heat and simmer until golden. Cook gnocchi a few at a time in a saucepan of boiling water until they rise to the top of the water. To serve, top gnocchi with butter sauce, Parmesan and pepper.

The Culinary Chase's Note: The potatoes can be baked in the oven, but more often are boiled. In this case do not peel them but boil them with the skin on. This will avoid absorption of excess water. Gnocchi is a hearty meal all on its own!

Ruby Grapefruit Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

Salads come in many forms and this recipe is no exception. This recipe is adapted from Donna Hay's cookbook, 'The New Cook'. It's full of timeless ideas and although it was first published in 1997, I love revisiting it. Pomegranate fruits contain polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins - all are beneficial antioxidants. Evidence suggests that drinking concentrated pomegranate juice may reduce cholesterol. Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C. Vitamin C-rich foods like grapefruit may help reduce cold symptoms or severity of cold symptoms. Click here for more information.

Serves 4
250g olives, sliced
2 ruby red grapefruit, sliced
3 tablespoons Italian parsley
2 cups watercress sprigs
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts
1 avocado, chopped
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons olive oil

Place olives, grapefruit, parsley, watercress, hazelnuts and avocado on a serving plate. Mix together pomegranate molasses, oil and pepper. Pour over salad and allow to let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

The Culinary Chase's Note: I couldn't find pomegranate molasses so I opted for pomegranate juice (1/2 cup) and simmered until thick. It's difficult finding good watercress out here so I used baby rocket. The flavors from this salad are quite intense; I love the salt from the olives, the peppery flavor from the rocket that seemed to compliment the grapefruit all capped off by the sweet pomegranate syrup. Enjoy!

Banoffee Pie

Legend has it that the Banoffee Pie was invented in 1972 in Jevington, England by Ian Dowding and Nigel Mackenzie of The Hungry Monk restaurant. The name is a combination of the word banana and toffee. Mixing the banana and toffee can be extremely addictive and it's difficult to eat just one slice!

Serves 6
400g tin of condensed milk
2-3 large bananas, sliced
1 packet any digestive biscuits
1 cup of whipping cream
2 tablespoons melted butter

Place the digestives into a freezer bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they are crumbly (can also use food processor). In a bowl combine the crumbs and butter until well combined. Pat crumbs into a 9" pie dish until the base and sides are covered. Place the base in the refrigerator to set.

To caramelise the condensed milk, place the tin in a pot of boiling water (do not open tin). Put a lid on the pot and allow the milk to boil for about 2 hours. To ensure the water does not evaporate, check periodically to see where the water level is. It should be half way up the can at all times.

When done, very carefully remove the tin and allow it to cool. When it is cool enough for you to handle, very carefully open the tin (if still hot, it may splatter out of the opening). At this point, the milk will have caramelised. Spoon the toffee from the tin and spread it over the biscuit base. Place the dish into the fridge again to cool for half an hour. Remove dish from refrigerator and arrange the sliced bananas on top of the toffee.

Meanwhile, whip the cream and then fold on top of the bananas. Return to the refrigerator again to cool and serve when needed.

The Culinary Chase's Note: This is one decadent dessert! Next time, I'll put a second layer of bananas on top of the caramel and also fold some bananas into the whipped cream. Yum!

Polenta and Zucchini Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

A relatively easy salad to make which is packed full of flavor and vitamins. This recipe is adapted from Marie Claire book, 'Zest'. Polenta was formerly known as peasant food and is fairly bland but when mixed with cheeses or tomato sauces, polenta comes to life. Cooked polenta can also be shaped into balls, patties or sticks and fried in oil until golden brown and crispy.

Serves 4 (as a starter)
75g (1/2 cup) polenta
2 teaspoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 zucchini, sliced on the diagonal
2 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
150g baby spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 200c. In a large saucepan, bring 350ml (1 1/3 cups) of salted water to a boil. Slowly pour in the polenta and stir until the polenta thickens and begins to draw away from the sides of the pan. Sir in the butter and remove from heat. Pour the polenta onto a tray or flat plate until 1cm (1/2 inch) thick. Allow to cool. Put the zucchini on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Bake until soft and cooked through. Slice the cooled polenta into rectangular chips.

To make the blue cheese dressing, combine the blue cheese, extra virgin olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Layer the zucchini, polenta and spinach onto four serving plates and drizzle with the dressing.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Pan frying the zucchini works just as well if you don't want to use the oven. Another idea is to cut the polenta into wedges and top with spinach, zucchini and top with the cheese dressing.

Vegetarian Fried Rice Noodles

Noodles, such as these, are a favorite of mine. In today's grocery stores, thanks to international travel, there's a lot more than spices on the shelves. This meatless version of fried noodles can be easily made at home even if you don't live in tropical Asia. Most grocery stores now carry a wide assortment of Asian food and condiments. This recipe is adapted from a cookbook called, 'Tropical Asian Cooking' which highlights recipes by Four Seasons Hotels (my favorite Canadian hotel). Shiitake mushrooms have natural antiviral and immunity boosting properties and are used nutritionally to fight viruses, lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure. Researchers S. Suzuki and Oshima found that a raw shiitake eaten daily for one week lowered serum cholesterol by 12%. Click here for more health benefits of the Shiitake.

Serves 4
300g dried stick noodles (rice noodles)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6-8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 eggs, lightly beaten
125g loosely packed bean sprouts, washed and drained
1 small onion, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
1/2 carrot, finely julienned
4 large shiitake or button mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
2-3 long beans, cut into 3/4 inch lengths (can use string beans)
2-3 red chilies, finely julienned
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons sugar
85ml (1/3 cup) fish sauce
85ml (1/3 cup) lime juice
sprigs of fresh coriander leaves to garnish
1 lime, quartered

Cook the noodles in boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water and drain again. Heat oil in a wok and add the garlic. Stir fry over medium heat for a few seconds then add eggs and stir until they begin to set. Push eggs to the side and add bean sprouts, onion, carrot, mushrooms, long beans, chilies. Stir fry until the vegetables are almost cooked (about 2 minutes).

Add noodles, paprika, sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Stir fry to mix the noodles thoroughly with the other ingredients and heat through. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase's Note: You may have to run cold water again over the noodles to keep them from sticking to one another before adding to the wok. I removed the semi cooked eggs and added them back to the vegetable mixture along with the noodles. After plating up, take the lime and squeeze over the noodles. Enjoy!

Sesame Lime Chicken with Coriander Pesto

This Asian inspired dish is a host to many flavors to tantalize ones taste buds and is adapted from ABC Delicious magazine. Wholesome ingredients is what this recipe is all about. The pesto is also great as a dip or a sauce for vegetables.

Makes 2
80ml (1/3 cup) lime juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder or paste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 x 200g chicken breasts, each sliced into 3 escalopes
2 thick bread slices, toasted
1/3 cup baba ghanoush or other roasted eggplant dip, to spread
tomato and mizuna leaves

Coriander Pesto (makes 1 cup)
20g (1 1/2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
1 small chili, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 firmly packed cup of Thai basil leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 firmly packed cup coriander leaves
1 teaspoon finely grated palm sugar (can use brown sugar)
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon lime juice
100ml olive oil

In a glass or ceramic dish, mix lime juice, canola oil, wasabi powder and sesame oil. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in fridge for 30 minutes. For pesto, whiz all ingredients except oil in a processor until finely chopped. Add oil and process to a paste.

Heat a non stick frying pan over medium high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and cook chicken 2-3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Cover with a lid, remove pan from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Spread the toast with baba ghanoush and top with tomato. Stack 3 chicken pieces on each slice, drizzle with the coriander pesto and top with a handful of mizuna.

The Culinary Chase's Note: I'm not a big fan of wasabi so I omitted this from the recipe. I couldn't find mizuna and instead chose rocket (arugula). The flavors from this dish are absolutely stunning!

Stir Fried Chicken with Lemon-Lime Dressing

The crunch factor along with the flavors of the dressing make this a mouth watering appetizer. This recipe is adapted from BBC Olive magazine. Crispy noodles on top is the crowning glory and a show piece for your friends and family to talk about. Who could resist this very fresh and light dish?

Serves 4 (as a starter)
vegetable oil for frying
50g thin rice noodles
4 skinless chicken breasts
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons ginger, grated
2 red chillies, seeded and chopped
small bunch of coriander, chopped
4 baby gem lettuce leaves, separated

Dressing
4 tablespoons lime juice
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons soft brown sugar
1 garlic clove, chopped

Fill a wok or medium pan with 1/3 oil and heat. A noodle will sizzle up immediately when hot enough. Fry all the noodles in batches, scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Put the chicken breasts in a food processor and pulse until minced. Discard most of the oil from the wok except for 3 tablespoons then put over medium high heat until almost smoking. Cook the chicken until browned, breaking it up thoroughly. Transfer to a bowl and add onion, ginger and chillies and toss well.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Toss the chicken with the dressing and sprinkle coriander over. Arrange the lettuce leaves on 4 plates. Just before serving, spoon the fried noodles and chicken salad onto each other.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Wow! Talk about flavors bursting in your mouth! You can also use minced pork instead of chicken. If the chicken throws off too much liquid when frying, spoon it out as you want the chicken dry.