Taste of the Tropics!

If you have read my profile, you will know I am a cook, and a bloody good one,if I do say so myself. I trained in Italy, and then went to college back in Australia and was immersed in the confining and restrictive techniques of French Cuisine.
Having been such a gypsy for the last twenty years; while everyone was marrying and having children, I was travelling. Everywhere I went, I found myself in a kitchen asking questions and either cooking with locals, or taking recipe ideas home with me and turning things into easy and impressive dishes.
When I first started training I was a zealot and the more complicated and difficult, and the more time it took, I was there- all the way. These days I prefer talking to friends rather than being stuck in a kitchen, so I come up with dishes that can be cooked and served quickly so I can sit at the table with a glass of wine and enjoy everyone's company.
I have put together a few menus lately, and thought I might share one or two of them.

Taste of the tropics - luncheon
Salt and pepper squid on a rocket and orange salad
Prawn curry - so easy you won't believe it
Tropical fruit tart with mascarpone


Salt and Pepper squid

For 4 people
I do it a little differently to the Asians.
2 large squid tubes or 4 small squid tubes frozen
salt and pepper
flour

Variation - paprika, chilli powder, onion powder, garlic powder
Lime wedges
Oli for frying
Deep fryer or heavy based small pot

Rocket and Orange salad

Mixed rocket and spinach leaves- washed
8-10 snow peas- finely sliced
1-2 oranges,peeled and cut into small segments
Snow pea sprouts - a handful

Dressing-

Lemon or lime juice with oil and 2 tsp sugar

I usually make individual salads and hold the dressing until the squid is cooked.

Slice the squid into really thin rings,wafer thin as possible. Pile them up.
On a plate or in a tray, put 1 cup plain flour, 6 tsp of salt, as much fresh pepper as you can grind.
Heat up a pot of oil, and quickly coat the squid in the mixture. It sounds like a lot of salt and it is, but each piece only gets a little bit.
Dip into hot oil, it will cook in seconds. Scoop the squid out onto a plate lined with paper towel and keep going. Pile squid ontop of salad and then drizzle dressing.
Serve at once.

Prawn curry

1 kg cooked large cooked or better yet uncooked prawns
1 bottle of Mrs Pataks Jalfreezi

400 gr rice
1 lime zest and juice

You can cook the rice in the microwave or a pot. A trick I learnt from a friend in the UK is to put the rice in a pot, cover with boiling water at least 2 cm above. I just guess. Cover with a lid and cook for 12 minutes. Take off the lid, remove from heat, cover with a teatowel and leave for 10 minutes before serving. I squeeze lime juice and sprinkle lime zest on top. EASY!

The prawn curry is too simple. Put garlic and oil into a skillet or frypan. Saute prawns and then throw in the sauce. Simmer until sauce thickens and serve.

Accompaniment -

steamed chinese broccoli with oyster sauce.
Steam the broccoli and drizzle oyster sauce - a cinch.

Dessert is more of an effort but not much.

Tropical fruit tart

1 packet of granita biscuits
125 gr butter melted

500 gr of mascarpone
zest of 1 orange
2 tblsp icing sugar
300 ml of whipped cream
tropical fruit of your choice- sliced and scattered on top - pineapple, mango, kiwi, star fruit,
1 tin of passionfruit pulp

To make the biscuit base- In a food processor blitz the biscuits to crumb. Mix with melted butter in a bowl and press into a lined springform tin. Chill in freezer for 10 minutes.

To make the orange mascarpone cream - In a food processor or a kitchen aid (I have wanted one for years...) whip the cream, mascarpone, icing sugar and orange zest together. Cover with orange mascarpone cream and decorate with fruit.

Finishing touch- in a small pan heat up the passionfruit pulp and add 1-2 tblsp caster sugar to thicken it. Sauce must coat the back of a spoon. Chill. Pour over the top of the fruit tart and serve chilled.
Watch it disappear in less than ten minutes as everyone initially asks for a small piece, and then ends up asking for more.

So cooking is my passion but I don't have a kitchen. Its ironical really, as I know heaps of people who have put in great kitchens in their homes but keep them sparkling and never cook. Why buy a smeg oven if you are only going to reheat??? I don't get it.
Here I am the happy wanderer who has cooked in kitchens, and in fact anywhere - even a portable barbecue plate on an outdoor fire in Fiji. I will hopefully one day have a home with a kitchen, and cook for friends as well as paying customers...
I believe in serving fresh food, and not doing too much with it...
Hope you enjoy my dishes.... they are too easy...
Vinaka na kana!