Carrot Cake Granola (AKA Toasted Muesli)

Someone on social media scolded me for saying granola and muesli are the same, but of course I meant toasted muesli, which is what it is/was called in Australia till recently.  You can still find packets in the shops called toasted muesli, but it is becoming rarer.  Sigh!

This recipe is from the Donna Hay Christmas: Feasts and Treats cookbook.  Not sure what is especially Christmas-y about it, but we did enjoy eating it.  Speaking of cookbooks, I am in two virtual cookbook clubs, so I get to see a fair few books that I wouldn't normally pick up.  It is fascinating to me how a particular cookbook will appeal or not.  I'm checking out a Desserts cookbook for one of the clubs, and I'm just not feeling it, so I will leave it be for this month, and hope that I enjoy next month's book choice.

I've had bronchitis over the last couple of weeks (still not totally better), so choosing a recipe seems like too much hard work right now :=)  I went to our doctor, who is a very laid-back, laissez-faire kind of bloke.  He asked what I expected from this visit?!  Umm, maybe a diagnosis and suggestions for treatment?!!  He casually, in passing, told me I have bronchitis, but that's as far as it went.  So back home I went to my sick bed, not much the wiser.  

crunchy, nutty, spicy!

Makes 12 cups:

ingredients:

360g./4 cups rolled oats

240g./2 cups carrot, grated

230g./2 cups pecans, chopped (how you please - big or small)

200g./2 cups walnuts, also chopped as you please

75g./1 cup shredded coconut (not sweetened)

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1.5 tsp ground ginger

1.5 tsp ground nutmeg

250 mL/1 cup pure maple syrup   see Notes

125 mL/half cup neutral vegetable oil or lightly-flavoured olive oil  see Notes

1 Tbs vanilla paste/extract

220g./1.33 cups raisins or cranberries (or dried fruit of your choice)

Toasted sesame seeds/almond flakes/roasted cashews - optional extras on top after baking  (my option!)

carrots of course :=)

pecans, too

Method:

Whack on your oven to 160C/325F to heat up

Grab 3 large baking trays, and line with baking paper

Into a large mixing bowl go the: oats, carrot, pecans, walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg

Give this mix a really good stir to combine

Then add the maple syrup, oil and vanilla, and mix gently to coat

Spread out the mixture evenly on the 3 trays, and bake for 20 minutes

Stir the 3 trays, and bake for another 10-15 minutes till golden, and crunchy, and smelling good

Let the mixture cool on the trays, then tip into a large bowl, and stir in the dried fruit (and the optional extras for serving) 

Can be kept in an air-tight container for 4 weeks

and a wee bit of nutmeg

Notes:

If you'd rather use another kind of syrup like rice bran, or agave nectar or honey, go ahead!

I used sunflower oil with a bit of EVoo as I had no light olive oil

get your ingredients together

and give 'em a good mixing

mix mix mix, my friends

stir in the maple syrup, oil and vanilla

ready for baking - 160C for 20 mins.

adding the fruit

and the extra garnishes

oh yeah, add that syrup

Tuna Rice Dill And Egg Salad

Mr P. and I don't eat much meat, so fish is a go-to in our kitchen.  I always have heaps of tinned tuna in the pantry, and various sorts of salmon in the fridge.  As it's now officially Autumn, (hear that, Tropical Cyclones?), I decided to make this in-between days salad from Belinda Jeffery's Utterly delicious simple food.  

This is protein-packed, (energy-boosting, says Belinda) and full of flavour.  Well, except for the dill.  We are not huge dill fans in this household, to be frank - or anyone else for that matter :=)  So I loaded up my slightly-less dillified version of this tasty salad with chives and parsley and dried oregano (I think).  

Speaking of herbs reminds me of the gorgeous basil plants we used to have in the back garden, which were adored by the native bees when in flower (they seem to like blue flowers, like their blue bottoms).  Nothing better than wafts of herby perfume coming in your windows.      

c. Louise Docker (Wikimedia Commons)

Serves 4-6:

Ingredients:

Lemon dressing:

125 mL (1/2 cup) of EV olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

60 mL (1/4 cup) lemon juice, freshly squeezed

splash of balsamic vinegar

sea salt flakes, and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad:

440g./2 cups cooked rice  (Belinda says to use long grain, brown or white)

2 large stalks of celery, very thinly sliced

1 small, green capsicum (bell pepper), diced - small or large dice; you pick!

4 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced - on the diagonal, if you wish

2 x 185g./6.5 oz tuna in oil, drained and flaked with a fork

a very large handful of dill, chopped   see Notes

12 kalamata olives, more or less as you see fit

3 eggs, hard-boiled and roughly chopped   see Notes

Sliced spring onions and extra dill, to serve

Lemon wedges, to serve  (don't tell, but we didn't bother)

A handful of white and black sesame seeds, scattered over the top

start dicing!

and chopping

Method:

Place the dressing ingredients into a jar, seal it, and give it a really, really good shaking - add more seasoning or lemon juice if you like

Grab a large bowl, and chuck in the rice, celery, capsicum, spring onion, tuna and herbs - and give it all a good mix

Now the dressing goes in, and you give that a jolly good stir

When you are going to eat this, add the olives and the chopped egg (keep aside a few olives and a bit of the egg for garnish, if you want)

Add some extra spring onion, herbs, chopped egg and lemon wedges to serve (optional)

And the optional sesame seeds, if using

thinly slice your spring onions

Notes:

Mr P. and I are not huge fans of dill, so I added chives and parsley too, and less of the dill :=)

Mr P. has started boiling eggs with boiling water first, rather than from cold: he boils the water on the stovetop, then lowers the eggs (carefully) into the water - 6 minutes for soft-boiled, 7-8 for hard(er) yolks

chop those eggs!

looking good

oh so fresh and delicious

and eat!

(Joining in with Jo from BKD Cookbook Club.  This month's theme is seasonal recipes.)

Fish With Lemons And Oranges

This post has been lurking in my drafts for a long time!  So it's definitely time to let it see the light of day.  This recipe is from Tessa Kiros's Now & Then.  Tessa is a South African who ended up in Italy.  For some reason, I thought she was an Aussie, but no!  Getting her mixed up with Tess Mallos, the (deceased) Australian cookbook writer, I reckon.

Mr P. and I do not eat much meat, so fish is a go-to for us, me especially.  I ended up using frozen king snapper, though you can use whichever fish you fancy - Tessa says sea bream, perch or red snapper.  I think I'll try barramundi next time, or even salmon.  

We are currently doing our pre-cyclone prep, as there's a tropical cyclone forecast for this week; for the first time in 50+ years here in Brisbane!  Gotta get those chairs and ladders inside pronto!  Thanks to dear friends who came around to help move the heavy ladders inside!  The sounds of silence are eerie right now, though by the time you read this, it will all be done and dusted - and hopefully with not too much damage.

the back deck has been stripped!

Serves 4:

Ingredients:

2 Tbs EV olive oil

40g./1.5 oz butter

4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

4 x 150g./5.5 oz fish fillets of your choice, skin-on (or not) and boned - I used king snapper

Sea salt flakes and black pepper, to taste - maybe 1 tsp salt, and a dozen grinds of pepper?

some fresh thyme - you choose how much - maybe 10 sprigs? - leaves stripped off the stems

12 green olives, pitted and halved

12 black olives, pitted and halved

60 mL/2 oz white wine

4 Tbs lemon juice

juice of one orange

2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp orange zest

1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

zest that orange!

and pit those olives

Method:

Olive oil and butter go into a large frying pan; add the garlic

When your garlic is doing the sizzle, add the fishy pieces, skin-side down (if using fish with skin), and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, till crispy  (a bit less time if using skinned fish)

Turn 'em over, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and throw in most of your thyme leaves

Turn the heat down to low(er), and add the olives and wine

Cook uncovered, for 5-10 minutes  see Notes

Turn the fish over again, adding a bit more salt and pepper to them

Add the juices, and let it simmer away, uncovered, for another 5-10 minutes or so, until the sauce is a bit thick and syrupy (mine didn't get very syrupy tbh)   see Notes

Scatter the zests and thyme leaves over the fish, then the parsley

Serve with salad or veg.

first catch that fish - as the redoubtable Hannah Glasse (1708-1770) would say :=)

Notes:

I think the cooking time given by Tessa is a bit too much.  She is saying around 25 minutes all up, but I think 15-20 would be the maximum needed (depending on the fish and the thickness of the fillets)

heat the EVoo and butter in a large frying pan; add the garlic cloves

in go the fishy fillets

and the olives

ready to serve

'twas winter so we had brussels sprouts

thyme

In My Kitchen - March 2025

Okay friends, this is a quickie as we are in Melbourne for my aunt's 90th.  We have not been down south since Covid began, so it has been marvellous to catch up with friends and family.  I really, really hate flying (and we usually drive everywhere when possible), so this has been a bit scary for me.  But I managed :=)

I hope your year is going well.  It seems to be flying past, doesn't it?  We've had an interesting time lately - the mains water pipe for the street is at the front of our house ... And it has been leaking a lot!  So we called the water people to come fix it, which they did eventually - 2 trucks and 5 people, most of whom stood around 'supervising'.  The next day it started leaking again, and after another 3 weeks, they finally turned up to fix it - again.  Fingers crossed, it's currently dry out there.  But I did notice that the hydrant across the road was leaking badly, so we called them again.  I think it has been fixed!  

In the meantime: In my kitchen:

In My Kitchen:

I bought some more Japanese goodies (online)

and I bought this cookbook (the tea towels came with it, gratis)

and I bought some vanilla pods - so cheap!!  Only $2.45 per pod!

and I made toasted muesli  (a Donna Hay recipe, from the new cookbook)

and brewed up some apple butter  (took hours!, but delish!)

received some goodies in a gifted Christmas hamper

more Christmas gifts (thanks cuz)

the curveball - a Brancusi-esque sculpture from a friend (ignore the little house in the middle)

That's it for this month.  Looking forward to your posts, my friends!

Be a part of our friendly IMK community by adding your post here too - everybody welcome!  We'd love to have you visit.  Tell us about your kitchen (and kitchen garden) happenings over the past month.  Dishes you've cooked, preserves you've made, herbs and veg. in your garden, kitchen gadgets, and goings-on.  And one curveball is welcome - whatever you fancy; no need to be kitchen-related.  

The link is open from the first of the month to midnight on the thirteenth of the month, every month.

Options for adding your post to IMK:

1. Add via the Add Link button at the bottom of this post.  Instructions can be found on the sidebar of this page, under the Add your IMK link OR:

2. Comment on this post, providing a link to your post so I can add it manually to the list below OR:

3. Email me: sherrym1au@gmail.com, with your link or any queries about the link process, or if you would like it to be added after the 13th ('cos I'm happy to add it for you later)

c. Sherry M.

Granny Sue

Salmon Kebabs With Pomegranate Molasses And Honey - Plus Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt Cucumber Dip)

I eat a lot of fish these days, and we both love salmon so it's on the menu fairly often.  I eat it in many guises - cold-smoked, hot-smoked, frozen, fresh, sashimi-ed and sushi-ed.  Well, you get the gist.  And so here we have a version from Nigella Lawson in her book Forever Summer.  

I just happened to have a bottle of pomegranate molasses lurking in my fridge, so this recipe leapt out at me.  Oh yes, and I have several bottles/jars of honey in my pantry.  Every time we are out on a daytrip and I see a roadside honey stall, I just have to buy some.

We have been lucky enough to see a fish/salmon ladder in Scotland, and a salmon farm in Tasmania.  Those fish ladders are so amazing!  Imagine coming back all that way from the sea to where you were born, just so you could spawn!  And of course, I have to mention the eels again - my mind is blown that every anguillid eel comes to spawn in the Sargasso Sea.  Yep, all of 'em!!  Which makes me think of that novel by Jean Rhys titled Wide Sargasso Sea, about Mr. Rochester's (supposedly) mad wife in the attic, in Jane Eyre.  Oops, I'm blathering today ...

Mr P. and I found these two Nigella recipes to be a bit bland to be honest, so I added the extra (optional) ingredients.  

(I am linking up with Jo from BKD (Brookford Kitchen Diaries) Cookbook Club - the theme is summer or winter recipes, depending on your hemisphere).

refreshing and garlicky!

The cacik tastes even better the next day!

Serves 3-4:

ingredients:

For the salmon:

80 mL/2.7 oz pomegranate molasses

60-80 mL/2.7 oz honey

1-2 Tbs soy sauce

1-2 Tbs lime or lemon juice  (optional)

1 tsp sumac (optional)

500g./18 oz salmon fillets, cubed (Nigella says into 4cm/1.5 inch squares)   see Notes

c. Sherry M.

For the Cacik:

1 Lebanese cucumber  (or just a large cuke; Nigella doesn't specify)  see Notes

500g./18 oz plain Greek yoghurt

1 tsp dried mint

1-2 tsp sea salt flakes

1 bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped, or use 1 Tbs lightly dried mint  - see notes   Yes, you are using both the dried AND fresh, or lightly dried mint with the dried mint (make sense?)

1-2 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated or chopped

EV olive oil, for drizzling over  - perhaps 1 Tbs?

a handful (maybe 2-3 Tbs?) of pistachios, chopped (optional)

1-2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds, scattered over the top of the fish (optional)

Serve with edamame, and/or a salad of green leaves, and flatbread

c. Sherry M.

Method:

For the salmon:

Put the molasses, honey, soy, lime juice and sumac into a bowl and give them a brisk whisking

Then pour the mix into a large (and strong) plastic bag, and add the salmon cubes/chunks

Expel the air, tie or clip the bag up tightly, and let the fish sit and ponder the state of affairs in the modern world for at least an hour (here in sunny Queenland this will definitely be in the fridge!)

Either soak your wooden skewers in water, then thread on about 5 cubes to each, OR just grill the fishy pieces on an alfoil and baking paper-lined tray at 180C/360F for about 10 minutes   see Notes

Sprinkle over most of the chopped nuts, and the sesame seeds, if using

For the Cacik:

Yoghurt gets spooned into a medium mixing bowl

Peel the cuke, then dice it finely, and add to the yoghurt

Now you add the dried mint and salt, and most of the fresh mint

And add the garlic, and stir it in

Grab a nice serving bowl, tip in the mixture, add the remaining mint, and drizzle the olive oil over the top

Sprinkle over the rest of the chopped nuts, if using

Serve with the salmon, and salad leaves/edamame, and flatbread

Notes:

Use whichever cucumber you fancy; I used about 180g./6 oz

I decided not to bother with the skewers, so I just cut the salmon fillets into 3-4 big chunks

If grilling or BB'ing the skewers, cook for about 3-4 minutes per side

gather your ingredients

mix up the marinade, and chop the salmon

add the fish to the marinade and let it sit for at least an hour

chop up the cacik ingredients, and place in a nice serving bowl

fish goes onto your foil and paper-lined tray

after baking at 180C/360F for about 10 minutes

ready for eating

delicious marinade over the top!

c. Sherry M.