Grilled Rosemary, Sea Salt, and Virgin Olive Oil Flatbread

And now for something completely different... as you can probably see, I have been on a bit of an east asian food kick lately.  Best to mix things up a bit!  Since I recently had access to a grill, I thought I'd try my hand at some grilled flatbreads. These are warm, fluffy, and lightly seasoned with rosemary, sea salt, and tiny pools of olive oil goodness.

This recipe uses a modified version of my basic pizza dough (using bread flour and longer rising times).

You will need:
1 packet quick rise-dry yeast
1 cup water
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups (strong) bread flour

2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Sea salt 

Virgin olive oil

Yield: 3 large flatbreads or 4 medium

1. Combine dry ingredients: salt, sugar, flour, and yeast in a medium bowl.

2. Heat water to 130F/55C, immediately add water (once heated) and oil. Stir until thick.

3. Turn dough onto floured surface, kneading for 5 minutes.

4. Return dough to bowl and cover with kitchen towel, let sit for 30 minutes.

5. Divide dough into 3 (or 4) sections and roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness (just over 1/2 cm).

6. Lightly oil your grill and allow bread to cook.  As temperatures will vary greatly depending on heat of the coals (you can be more precise and take your time if using a gas grill), it is important to flip up an edge and check for charring.  As we worked with super-hot coals, we found that just 1.5 minutes on each side was more than enough.

7. As soon as bread is off the grill, brush with oil and dust with rosemary and sea salt to taste.  Serve immediately for best taste, or reheat briefly in the oven.

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Grilled Salmon Bento

My husband and I have been greedily trying Japanese food all over London, as we simply cannot get enough!  However, that is an expensive hobby, so at some point we had to start doing our best to reproduce some of the wonderful food we've tried at home.  The recipe for rice balls (below) makes a great vegetarian side dish or would be good for little (or picky!) fingers!

Grilled Teriyaki Salmon and Greens Salad
You will need:
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup sake (cheapest available seems to work fine!)
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
400g (14oz) salmon
1/3 cup edamame
100g (3.5oz) fine green beans, blanched
100g (3.5oz) broccoli, blanched
1 cup sushi rice (uncooked)

Yield 2 servings

1. Prepare sushi rice by rinsing, soaking for half an hour, and then cook according to package instructions.  You may wish to season it with 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (or to taste).

2. Combine mirin and sake over a medium/low heat for 5 minutes.  Add soy sauce and sugar and stir until sugar dissolves.

3. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.

4. While sauce thickens, oil a medium frying pan or skillet or prepare your grill.  If grilling, you may prefer to oil the the cuts of salmon directly.

5. Lightly sear the outside of the salmon and then coat in teriyaki sauce.

6. Cook salmon through, cooking times vary based on heat and size of cuts.  You should have a nice carlmelised teriyaki crust on the salmon.

7. Serve over a bed of sushi rice with greens.

8. I chilled these meals in the fridge, though you could serve heated.  

Veggie Rice Balls (Great for picky eaters!)
You will need:
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup broccoli (omit stems)
1 Tbsp thinnly sliced spring onions
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 cup uncook sushi rice

Yield: 6 rice balls

1. Cook sushi rice according to package instructions.

2. Prepare the veg while the rice cooks.  In a food processor, add carrot, broccoli, and spring onions.  Add rice vinegar and pulse until you have a paste.

3. Once rice is cooked, fold in veggie paste using a rice paddle.  Work quickly and re-cover and allow steam to soften the veggie paste for a minute or two.

4. Allow rice to cool for a bit, then shape into balls.  This can be easily done by wetting your hands and shaping them by band.  Serve with teriyaki sauce

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Soy, Honey, and Brown Sugar-Glazed Roast Sweet Potatoes

This super sweet and sticky side dish makes a wonderful addition to a meal!  It is particularly good with fried foods and roasts (and would therefore be a great addition to a Thanksgiving or holiday meal). It is so hard to stop eating this all in one go!  It's also easy on your budget and goes down well with picky eaters.

You will need:
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Honey for drizzling
Toasted Sesame Oil for brushing on potatoes

1. Wash and peel sweet potatoes.  Cut into small cubes.

2. Arrange on a roasting tin over parchment paper.

3. Brush with toasted sesame oil and bake for 25 minutes at 200 C / 400 F.

4. While potatoes are roasting, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.

5. After 25 minutes, brush potatoes with sauce.  (Very) lightly drizzle honey over potatoes and replace in oven for an additional 15-20 minutes.

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Tangy Peanut-Ginger Slaw

I realised that I haven't uploaded many side dishes to this site.  The first recipe I'd like to formally present as a side dish is one of my husband's favorites, my tangy peanut-ginger slaw.  It is lighter than regular coleslaw, but just as easy to prepare.

You will need:
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup shredded white cabbage
2 Tbsp thinly sliced spring onions
1/4 cup julienned carrots
1 tsp peanut butter
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp ginger paste (or fresh minced ginger)

1. In a large bowl, combine veggies and toss.

2. In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, and ginger paste.  Stir with a fork until peanut butter is finely incorporated.

3. Tip sauce over veggies and toss again. Add sauce a little bit at a time to get the right amount of moisture, as you don't want it to be soggy.

4. Serve as soon as possible for crispier fresher taste!

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Sriracha Cream Sauce

This recipe has been so enjoyed in our house I thought it warranted it's own post!  Sriracha cream sauce is good on almost anything.  A dip for chicken, a sauce for fried fish tacos, a sauce for salmon, a mayo-replacement in a sandwich, or as a salad cream, it's all good!  It is extremely versatile and makes almost anything extra-delicious!!  This recipe is made from an amalgamation of sriracha sauces I've found online.  This.  This one is the magic one.


Yield: Approximately 1 1/2 cups sauce

You will need:
1 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)
1/3 cup condensed milk (again, light is fine)
3 1/2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce

Simply whisk all ingredients together and serve.  I bottle mine so that I have it on hand when I get a craving!

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