Shalom, the Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 now takes us to beautiful Israel.
Following on from the 2013 success of a Yotam Ottolengi inspired dish, Israel has again turned to Yotam for inspiration. I received a copy of Jerusalem one Christmas and it quickly joined the ranks of cookbooks that live on my bedside table along with those of Shane Delia and Dan Lepard, the type of food you want to be inspired by before you head to sleep....for hopefully tasty dreams!
While many will see an inviting array of farmers market vegetables most will hardly notice the poor kohlrabi in the corner.
A vegetable that often gets purchased because it's purple and interesting but then without the courage or knowledge of how to use it, ends up being given to the chickens...or was that just me?
Kohlrabi also comes in green if purple isn't your colour.
Picking a new vegetable and then learning how to cook it is a great game, some would say sport and in a seamless segue that brings us to today's Eurovision hit from the past.
In 1992 Dafna (accompanied by half the wiggles with microphones stuck down their tops) represented Israel with Ze Rak Sport (It's Just Sport). Dafna came 6th and then went on to host the Eurovision Song Contest when it came to Jerusalem in 1999.
I really like the Kohlrabi salad featured in Jerusalem but not having all the ingredients on hand I went about with my own variation.
Kohlrabi Salad
Ingredients
1 small red onion
1 small lemon
1-2 kohlrabi
50g dried currant
100ml sour cream
2 sprigs fresh mint leaves + garnish
Salt
Method
Peel onion, cut in half vertically and finely slice
Add onions to a bowl and squeeze over the juice of a lemon, let sit for 30 minutes
Peel Kohlrabi, cut in half and slice thinly
Drain the juice from the onions and reserve
In a mixing bowl add kohlrabi, onions, currants, mints and sour cream
Combine and add pinch of salt and a splash of lemon juice
Serve with extra mint garnish
Kohlrabi is crisp, almost an apple of the vegetable world and is great sliced really fine into chips, grated into fritters and raw in a crunchy salad.
This year the Golden Boy from Israel was Nadav Guedj who managed to no only take Israel to the Eurovision finals after a 4 year absence, the king of fun placed 9th.
I caught up with Nadav in Vienna for a very quick unplanned interview about tattoos which didn't get awkward....OK it might have got a bit awkward discussing covering himself with tattoos?!?!
There is one performer in this act that lasts a lot longer than the official 3 minutes, Epic Sax Man which thanks to someone's hard work looping and YouTube you can enjoy for 10 HOURS!!
That's almost longer than the voting.
I'm not sure if he has a nasal spray or blue pill but that's what I call longer lasting SAX!
This recipe was inspired by a Moldovan fish baked in a vegetable sauce, now I'm all for togetherness but I thought it might be nice to have the vegetables as a cold salad instead....yep, I never win friends:(
Moldovan Fish with Roast Vegetable and Feta Salad Ingredients
500g white fish (I went for a chunky rockling)
1 lemon
1/2 bunch chives, finely chopped
5 small Roma tomatoes, quartered
5 brown mushrooms, quartered
1 large leek, sliced 1 cm thick
1 red capsicum, cut into rough chunks
50g feta crumbled
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C
Place tomato, mushrooms, leeks, and capsicum on a baking paper lined tray(s)
Lightly splash with olive oil and salt and pepper
Roast for 30 minutes then allow to cool
Marinate the fish for about 10 minutes in, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and 1/2 the chopped chives
Heat an oven proof frypan on high heat
Lightly pat dry the fish and fry for about 3 minutes on each side
Put the frypan in the oven to finish the fish for about 10-15 minutes (internal temp of 63°C for those playing My Kitchen Rules along at home)
The cooking really depends on how think you fish is so go with your gut (and thermometer)
Combine all vegetables in a bowl and add feta and any remaining chives
If required add another splash of olive oil
The feta should take care of the salt component, but you better have a taste just to be sure.
Slice the fish or serve whole on a plater to be shared
The next time I make this I want to add rocket to the salad, it needs more green
Looking at the dry brown shrivelled objects that were labelled "warm healthy salad" I almost shed a tear for the wasted potential of these poor brutalized vegetables.
While being at such a stage of hunger it would justify eating your frozen rugby teammates I did however order a ham and cheese toasted sandwich.
Not to be overly dramatic......
I would never have thought it possible to get a toasted sandwich wrong but by the time the coffee was made the sandwich was not only flattened not to less than an inch of it's life but was so squished that it could have slid under a door.
So that's it! Never again!
The key to the success of this mission is preparation, make your lunch the night before so that in the morning you only need enough time to stumble to the kitchen to pour yourself a cup of ambition. Who doesn't love a bit of Dolly Parton?
Polka dot chickpea salad Ingredients
400g chick peas
1 red onion finely sliced
Juice of 1 lime
1 red sweet chilli or capsicum roughly chopped
1 large zucchini rough chopped
1 tbsp. ground cumin seeds
Black sesame seeds ( just a many as you like)
Olive oil
Method
In a mixing bowl add the chickpeas, onion, lime juice, sweet chilli
In a fry pan on high add a good splash of olive oil (this will also be the dressing)
Add the zucchini, ground cumin and cook till tender.
Remove from the heat and let cool for about 15 mins
Add zucchini to mixing bowl
Add black sesame seeds in and mix through
Note on chickpeas, you can use canned or do the whole soaking over night and boiling method either works great. Now that lunch is so much healthier, tasty and a hell of a lot cheaper! We will win the war!!
Today the Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 arrives in Greece although this will be a return trip for AB and I as we got to see the monsters conquer Athens in 2006 first hand.
Wise people often say it's not about the destination but the journey so if you don't mind I might indulge myself in a trip down attending Eurovision lane.
Like all good Australians our 3 weeks in Europe crammed in London, Paris, Athens and Rome, because after 30 hours in the plane you want to get your money's worth. We left Heathrow on an evening flight for Athens but not before we managed to pick up Mr and Mrs Portokalos both lost and looking a bit weary.
In amongst the pant wetting excitement of actually going to a host country (it really doesn't take much to excite me) and the void of a delayed flight, I had a mobile phone thrust at me with the right amount of pleading waving for me to take it and say...hello?
Nikos the (grateful for making them someone else's problem) voice on the other end explained the stressed couple before me were his parents who only spoke Greek and didn't know what was happening with the flight home. I promised Nikos to get his parent on the plane and even tried to let them know why the flight was delayed using my phrase book, poor things as if they hadn't already been through enough.
Our flight was called and we ensured that Mr and Mrs Portokalos were seated with their seatbelts firmly secured, seat backs and tray tables in the upright position before we bid them farewell.
I had thoughts of Nikos waiting at the airport to shower us with gratitude at which point he would turn out to be the head of the Greek Eurovision committee. I'm not sure where the story went but some how I ended up winning the Eurovision Song Contest, the way all good stories end. Alas no it was not to be, zippo at the airport not even our prepaid and arranged hotel transfers was there to meet us. I guess I should be grateful we even arrived in Greece as it was the scariest fight I've ever been on. All the joy of hearing Anna Vissi the 2006 Greek entry upon boarding fled once we took off on the most frightful roller coaster ride of a flight. Now I love a really bumpy flight, it adds to the drama. I loved flying Impulse when they were operational in Australia as the cabin had hand rails on the overhead lockers like a bus and I'd wait for the captain's mid flight announcement "cabin crew be seated...NOW!"
As we rose and dropped and rose and dropped all I could think about was how pissed I'd be if we crashed just before I got to Eurovision, I was totally fine if it was on the way home but to miss out so close and what about poor Nikos and the Portokalos!
The worst moment was when water started leaking from the window onto my arm, an apparently harmless phenomena, but not to me at the time as I started deciding which God would be the best one to turn too.
AB slept through the whole journey.
I'll fast forward to the Greek tragedy part of the trip the saga of Labrina the travel agent. She was a hefty girl (see it's not wise to cross me) who was originally from Melbourne but was now working in Athens. After numerous emails we bought our accommodation and package of Eurovision tickets through her agency. Just a word of warning to everyone Eurovision does not sell tickets through travel agents, we are now fully aware of this.
We had paid top dollar for all A reserve tickets but when it came to picking them up they didn't quite have what we ordered and offered us C reserve. While disappointed I thought well the difference in price can be spent on merchandise, but no they were the same price, WHAT?!?!?!?
We had the option of that or nothing and no refund either way, and had to sign a paper stating we wouldn't take it further before any tickets were exchanged. (We did take it further with our credit card fraud squad but to no benefit) Feeling beyond angry, stupid and a bit helpless we grabbed what tickets we could and raced out of there towards the arena for the first dress rehearsal. It was when we arrived there it finally made sense why she didn't understand our need to rush to the venue as not only did we get tickets in the wrong section they were for the wrong bloody day!!!!! Once we bought more tickets and were in the arena for the dress rehearsal our week of Eurovision bliss began. I know I have focused on some of the drama but if I had to write about the sheer life changing happiness of being at Eurovision the post would be days long, so I should probably stop boring you and get on with the food.
I adored all he Greek food and enjoyed the benefits of the communication barrier by miss ordering too many souvlaki with chips and mustard. There was also a lot of hospitality on offer at the restaurants after the concerts with the tattoo on full display we would be given free drinks as they either thought I was a contestant or a wack job that would permanently mark their body for a song contest.
After the most enormous plate of grilled meats we scored some ouzo with so much chest hair inducing potency I swear it was "draino"!
The recipe today is simple and inspired by that Greek plater and not able to be used as a cleaner I promise.
Don't worry I still spent money on merchandise to add to the Shrine and got my hands on every give away.
Yes that is a doll of the 2006 host Sakis Rouvas in his 2004 contest Shake It outfit,
don't judge me!
Greek Chicken Platter with Tzatziki Ingredients
1kg chicken thigh fillet
4 cloves garlic minced
8 sprigs oregano
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1 Cos lettuce roughly chopped
2 Lebanese cucumbers chopped
4 tomatoes chopped
1 red capsicum cubed
2 red onions chopped (optional)
250g fetta
100g pitted Kalamata olives
Lemon wedges and oregano to garnish
For tzatziki
2 small cucumbers
250g thick Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbsp. honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Method
In a glass bowl add the chicken, garlic, oregano, oil and lemon juice and combine
let marinate for an hour or 2
To make the tzatziki:
Grate the cucumbers, salt them and let them drain in a colander for 30mins-1 hour
Strain yogurt in a sieve if not thick enough
Squeeze the cucumber to get rid of any extra moisture
Add yogurt, garlic, cucumbers, honey and lemon juice to a bowl and combine
Season if any more salt is required
On a hot grill pan or BBQ cook the chicken for about 10-15 minutes till cooked through
Salt to taste
Slice into chunky pieces
Arrange the lettuce, cucumber, tomato, capsicum and olives on a serving platter
Crumble over the fetta in chunks
Spread over the chicken
Dollop with tzatziki
Garnish with lemon wedge and oregano leaves
Now appropriately to my own Greek experience this year Koza Mostra feat. Agathon Iakovidis will perform Alcohol is free. Who doesn't love a bloke that can rock a skirt?
I hope everyone made it through customs without a starring role in border security and is ready for the delights of Moldova. If you are a long time reader (first time commenter) to my blog you will be aware of my obsessive love of all things purple and my inability to not tear up at the sight of a grandmother. No seriously people we have been through this, you only need to say the words Maggie Beer and I well up.
So today is a celebration of both. For the grandmother we have Grandma Boonika, reportedly a neighbour/cousin of the band Zdob Ĺźi Zdub who they just had to bring along to the 2005 contest. I find her a true inspiration proving that you're never too old for Eurovision, there is hope for me yet. If you need me I'll be out the back practicing my little turns.
Now for the purple I found a Moldovan beetroot salad, that is so delicious with just the right balance of creamy texture and hint of garlic. You need to boil the beetroots but I suppose if you are "time poor" and don't actually like the people you are cooking for you could always use beetroot from a can. (Insert disapproving glare here)
They placed 6th and I'm sure most of it was due to Gran.
Moldovan Beetroot Salad
Ingredients
4 Medium beetroots
2 garlic cloves
90g walnut crumbs
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt
Method
Put beetroot into a medium saucepan and cover with cold salted water
Bring the water to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 25-30 minutes till the beetroots are tender
When tender, remove beetroot from the saucepan and allow to cool
Peel beetroot (or leave skin on) and grate into a mixing bowl
Mince the garlic in a garlic crusher and add to beetroot
Add remaining ingredients to the beetroot and stir to combine
Salt to taste
Let sit for an hour or 2 before serving (or eat straight away it's still yum)
You can also garnish with extra walnut crumbs if you wish
Moldova will present O Mie sung by Aliona Moon in 2013.
No it's not a job as a taste tester, as awesomely appealing as that sounds. The next offering in the War on Terrible Food aka BYO work lunch series. This salad has had a couple of incarnations and can be used as an indicator of how our eating has changed over the years. When I was at school the major ingredient to this was a jar of mayonnaise, these days it gets a light dressing of olive oil and lemon juice. If I'm honest the tasty model below only got a drizzle of olive oil, no lemon or salt and pepper, and it was just as yum.
Carrot and Cheese Grateness Serves 1 Ingredients
2 medium carrots grated
50 grams grated cheese
1 fun size box (40g) sultanas
black and white sesame seeds
Olive oil
juice of 1/2 small lemon
Method
Add carrot, cheese, and sultanas to a bowl.
Mix through a drizzle of oil and the lemon juice.
Top with a sprinkle of seeds and run out the door to work.
Making it the night before will let the sultanas soak up the dressing and the carrots soften. You can also experiment with any seeds that take your fancy, lineseed, chia, pumpkin seeds.
Enough is enough, I will no longer spend money on substandard work lunches or any food for that matter. Make the pledge with me people.
I came to this mission after a month of the dodgy cafe next to my work ( it's a captive audience type arrangement), over priced, under flavoured, and about as healthy as a packet of Winnie Blue. So as I stood in line looking at the upside down friands, waiting way to long for the usual bad coffee, I thought what am I doing here, I can cook, why am I wasting my money with somewhere that clearly can't. My criteria was it has to be something cold and quick that was desk edible. I also want something healthy that tasted evil, and not like grass and dirt. This wasn't part of a new years resolution as it has been sitting in draft for about 2 months. I'm not fond of the crazy diet resolution as it ends up like a business I saw on twitter. "Resolutions Gym" January it is a gym, from February to December it's a tapas bar. Although one change I will make this year is to not eat at any resturant that is happy to throw their food out a window, e.g. no drive-thru.
This was the first wave of troops. Enjoy, and stop paying for rubbish food! Corn Salsa Salad The quantity of each ingredient is really up to you, I base it around 1 can of corn.
Ingredients
1 410gram can of corn kernels
1 head cos lettuce
1 handful cherry tomatoes
2 red onions finely sliced
1 Lebanese cucumber
1 long chili
1 handful flat leaf parsley
1 handful coriander
1 lime
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Method
Drain corn
Roughly chop lettuce, cucumber, chili, tomatoes and herbs.
Combine in a bowl
Add juice of the lime and 2 table spoons of olive oil
Toss and serve
If you take as much care with the chopping as it do, you will be finished in under 3 minutes.
Following on from the 2013 success of a Yotam Ottolengi inspired dish, Israel has again turned to Yotam for inspiration. I received a copy of Jerusalem one Christmas and it quickly joined the ranks of cookbooks that live on my bedside table along with those of Shane Delia and Dan Lepard, the type of food you want to be inspired by before you head to sleep....for hopefully tasty dreams!
