The Three Bs.......

The three B's beetroot, broad bean, and blood orange are an absolute triumph in my latest tiffin lunch box collection. Actually there should be a fourth B, Bliss......

The colours just scream spring, summer good times and hurry up stop typing and just eat me!

 

 
This recipe is for 2-3 (or 1 it's that yum)
 
Three B's Salad
Ingredients

• 4 spring onions
• Juice of 1 blood orange*
• 1.5 cups broad beans
• 50ml olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 small roasted beetroot quartered
• 4 radishes quartered
• 2 blood oranges* segmented
• 50 g soft goats cheese

Method

• Slice the spring onions (not too fine) and add to a mixing bowl with the blood orange juice
• Leave to marinate about 15 minutes
• Blanch the broad beans for 30-40 seconds in lightly salted boiling water, then plunge into icy water.
• Peal the outer shell of the broad bean
• Mix olive oil through spring onions and juice, season to taste
• Gently coat the beetroot, broad beans and radishes through the dressing so that they still hold their shape
• Gently add the blood orange segments
• Serve doted with soft goats cheese
• If there are any left overs the colour is great the next day as the blood orange and beetroot blend with the radishes and goats cheese

Notes:

• You can use tinned beetroot but for this I found it too soft. To roast place beetroot in a baking tray with a splash of olive oil and salt and bake cover in tin foil at 160ºC for about 1 hour till tender.
• Pealing the broad beans is to remove the bitterness of the outer shell but I don't mind the flavour so I leave some unpeeled for contrast in flavour and colour. 

 

 Really who wouldn't want to have that in their lunch box??

 You can go all fancy and try plating it master chef style and serve with lamb steaks. To be honest I prefer the look of it all together in the tin, I'm a simple kinda chap.

A tuna steak variation with boiled egg for a hint of the nicoise

 

*Redbelly Citrus supplied the blood oranges for this recipe. 

Soupy Stars: Mixed onion soup with goats cheese toasts

Being in the middle of cold and flu season in Melbourne it is good to keep the immune system boosted. Knock wood I have avoided a bout of Man Flu with a regime of preventative medicine, I mean eating.

 

The smell of onions and garlic frying in butter is just one of the joys of being alive.

 

Mixed Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 1kg of mixed onions (red and brown)
• 5-6 cloves garlic 
• 60g butter
• Splash of olive oil
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 120ml red wine
• About 2.5 litres of beef or vegetable stock
• 4-5 sprigs of thyme

Method

• Peel onions and slice finely (I used the food processer, no more tears)
• Peel garlic and slice finely
• Heat butter and oil on medium in a heavy base pot
• Add onions and cook for about 10-15 minutes till softened, I don't brown them too heavily but it's up to you
• Add brown sugar, red wine and stir through
• Add the stock, it should cover the onions very generously as it will reduce
• Simmer on medium for about 40-45 minutes
• Serve with soft goats cheese spread on toasted baguette, glittered with thyme leaves (oh that sounds classy)
• Onion tip, if you store them in the fridge you are less likely to cry as the juice/vapours spray less when chilled.
• Also it's good to ensure the onions have softened before adding the liquid as boiling raw onion doesn't give the same smooth texture

 

 

Everything is better with butter and a splash of oil!

 

 

The toast can be served on the side to avoid the risk of soggy bread!