Ricky's Recipe

New Zealand’s answer to Candida - Horopito

2009-06-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

Horopito...

Sounds Japanese? It's actually a New Zealand Herb. Horopito also is known as New Zealand pepper tree, winter’s bark, or red horopito.

Horopito is particularly unusual in that its flowers come directly off the older stems rather than from among the leaves. It’s not surprising that New Zealand has such unique flora and fauna. Situated at the bottom of the South Pacific, plants were able to evolve in isolation from other landmasses in a climate ranging from subtropical to glacial.

A Prehistoric Herb
How did the prehistoric Horopito shrub survive to this day? What qualities preserved it virtually unchanged for more than 65 million years?1 This is how old some of the fossilized remains in New Zealand have been dated, and in this plant’s superb natural chemical defense system lies the likely answer. Horopito developed antioxidants that allowed it to survive millennia of climate changes—the extremes of ice ages, global warming and volcanic dust winters that wiped out most of the early plant species. More importantly for us it developed chemicals in its leaves that offered excellent resistance to microbes like fungi and bacteria, as well as to larger creatures like insects and dinosaurs

How to serve Horopito:

Horopito Crusted - with Duchess Sweet Potatoes (Maori Pepper)

8 x 100g venison steaks from a denver leg set (rump, topside, silverside or round)150 ml Veal glaze (venison glaze if you have access to bones)
2 teaspoon Black peppercorns
2 teaspoon Horopito
5 teaspoon Sea salt flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 bunch baby onions
1 fresh pomegranate for adding to the veal glazeHand full walnuts lightly roasted & crushed

Method:
To make the pepper crust, combine black pepper, salt, horopito and sugar in a spice grinder and grind until fine or just a little chunky. Coat the venison steaks and sear in a hot pan with a touch of oil on both sides. Rest. Don’t overcook as it is a lean meat so it is best eaten rare/medium rare.Toss baby onions in a little oil and salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until tender and golden.Serve the venison steaks with the Duchess Sweet Potato, Pomegranate Jus, roast baby onion and sprinkle with walnut.*Make your own venison glaze by roasting off bones and venison trim, in a large pot cover with water, add peppercorns, bay leaf, parsley stalks, chopped celery, onion and carrot. Simmer for several hours skimming when impurities rise to the top. Strain and reduce until thick and coating consistency.

Horopito Vinaigrette

3 tbsp spiced vinegar or fresh lemon juice
½ cup Grove Horopito Avocado Oil
½ tsp mustard
½ tsp sugar
1 clove crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake well to combine. Store in the fridge.Excellent with summer salad greens or try drizzling over salmon or chicken before grilling or pan frying.

Rack of Lamb with Horopito Mustard

Serves 4

4 lamb racks, trimmed

2 large cloves of garlic, peeled & sliced in half

4 tbsp Horopito Mustardzest of an orangefreshly ground black pepper

2 sprigs rosemarySauce

275g jar whole berry cranberry sauce2 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp Bush Honey & Orange Mustard

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Rub each rack with 1/2 clove of garlic,spread each rack with 1 tablespoon of Horopito Mustard and sprinklewith orange zest. Stand the interlocking racks in a roasting pan, placing a sprig of rosemary over each (remove after cooking). Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into the pan and bake for 20-30 minutes (racks must be at room temperature before cooking).Sauce: Place all ingredients in a microwave proof bowl, mix tocombine. When the lamb racks have been removed form the oven,microwave the sauce on high for about 45 seconds until just warmed through. Place racks on plates and spoon sauce neatly on. Serve with kumara or potato mash, orzo pasta or oven baked potatoes.

Ricky's Recipe Update #1

2009-06-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Thank you for joining Ricky's Recipe on face book. As you might have already know, I have a blog up and running to update members of new recipes. I can also see that from the unique hits generated, it seems to have quite a following for a newbie in Facebook. Thank you again for joining me and keeping me company.

Since, I came back from New Zealand, there have been many changes in Malaysia, specially KL. I realised that there are numerous hotels and restaurants in KL itself. I am spoilt for choice. Although i have been keeping tabs on the happenings in Malaysia, having been caught in the morning traffic is something else. Politics, tourism developments, Economy, Mas Selamat in Malaysia and a host of other news which i follow from the Internet back in New Zealand.

After a long time staying abroad, coming back to KL is something i have pondered for a long long time. Memories of my childhood days back in Perak and friends, linger in my mind ever so often. Seems like telling me to come back soon.

So here i am in KL, got a job in lightning quick mode and settling myself rather abruptly in this hyper speed, hot and humid KL.

I am close to setting up sessions of workshops to share recipes and tips on cooking western cuisines, wine tasteing sessions and tips on how to know a good wine I will also be sharing authentic New Zealand products from time to time, like the Karengo. So friends, do join me in my worshops soon. I will update you once we have a firm date.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have any request on certain private cooking sessions for you and your close buddies. I will also be available for house calls if the time is right.

Cheers!
Ricky

A Taste of New Zealand - Karengo Part 2

2009-05-29T01:32:00.000-07:00

There is no family of foods more protective against radiation and environmental pollutants than sea vegetables. All sea vegetables contain radio-protective properties. One of the more powerful protective elements in sea vegetables is sodium alginate. The alginic acid found in sea vegetation acts as a binding or chelating agent in the body for the radioactive strontium 90 which is now found in vegetables, milk and meat. Not only does alginic acid flush out strontium 90 from the digestive tract, but it also extracts and chelates it from the bone marrow and bloodstream. Researchers at McGill University (Canada) are finding that this extends to all heavy metals.

After the Nagasaki bombing occurred, people who ate a strict macrobiotic diet -including brown rice and miso soup with loads of sea vegetables -did not suffer from radiation poisoning, even though some were within a mile of the explosion!

Karengo Sea Vegetable - Typical Mineral Analysis (parts per million)

Sodium 30960.00 ppm
Potassium 30150.00 ppm
Sulphur 19031.00 ppm
Magnesium 4406.00 ppm
Phosphorus 3999.25 ppm
Calcium 2157.00 ppm
Iron 172.30 ppm
Aluminum 114.30 ppm
Boron 33.40 ppm
Strontium 32.60 ppm
Zinc 27.00 ppm
Manganese 16.30 ppm
Arsenic 14.20 ppm
Iodine 12.00 ppm
Silica 7.00 ppm
Tin / Fluorine 5.00 ppm /ea
Chromium 3.60 ppm
Copper / Nickel 2.70 ppm/ea

Karengo Blue Nose Fish cake

400g firm white fish, Blue Nose is ideal
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Karengo, chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt/Pepper
Breadcrumbs
Flour
Egg, whisked

Method:
1. Gently poach fish in water.
2. When cooked, strain and flake into segments.
3. When cooled, stir in rest of ingredients.
4. Add some breadcrumbs to make malleable- but not too dry.
5. Then mould with your hands to desired shape and crumb, first flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
6. Serve with crisp fresh salad, lemon & potato salad.

Potato Salad: boiled potato with capsicum and mayonnaise.

A Taste of New Zealand - Karengo

2009-05-28T00:58:00.000-07:00

Karengo
Closely related to Japanese nori and Welsh laver, the red seaweed karengo (Porphyra species) is a delicacy to Māori. Found growing on intertidal rocks on exposed coasts, karengo is picked and sun-dried in winter months. It keeps for a long time in a dry condition. When used in cooking the dried seaweed is steamed or simmered for 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
sea vegetables are rich in vitamins, contain all fifty-six minerals and trace elements identified as bodily requirements, plus they have other nutrients, many of which are known to offer protection against radiation or chemical pollutants.

Sea vegetables contain iodine, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphates, sulphates, chlorides, bromides and other nutrients in a well balanced form. Moreover, many natural nutrients are easier to assimilate than ones that are artificially produced.

Virtually all sea vegetables contain an abundance of the trace elements, including zinc and magnesium. Sea vegetables are easily prepared and are widely available in natural foods stores. You do not have to eat great quantities of sea vegetables in order to enjoy their benefits.

Seaweed has an alkalising and normalising effect, making it ideal for an often over acidic Western diet.

Now, what can you do with Karengo?

Starter: Karengo Salsa

1 onion, sliced1 capsicum, chopped
1/4 cup avocado oil
1 teaspoon chopped chillies
6 cups tomatoes, peeled
15 grams Pacific Harvest karengo flakes
1/2 cup coriander, chopped

Soak the Karengo in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Saute the onion, capsicum and chillies in oil for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and karengo and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the coriander and serve with tacos, enchiladas, refried beans or use as a dip with corn chips, etc.

Main Course: Karengo Stuffed Potatoes

6 large potatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup grated Colby cheese
1 teaspoon Kawakawa
1/2 teaspoon salt
25 grams Karengo fronds (chopped)
1 cup boiling water1/2 cup milk

Scrub potatoes and bake in a moderate oven for 1 hour or until cooked. Allow to cool and cut off tops - reserve. Carefully scoop out flesh without damaging the shells. Place the flesh in a bowl with cheese, milk, Kawakawa , onion, salt and pepper. Pour boiling water over Karengo, leave to stand 10 minutes and drain well. Add to potato mixture, stir well and fill the potato shells. Replace tops and bake in a moderate oven for a further 15 minutes.