Comfort food - Asian style

I really had no intention of blogging this, but i took a bite and it tasted so damm good that i thought i must - hence the half eaten photo! I never really knew how to make Teriyaki sauce before this but it is really surprisingly easy and goes oh so well with a creamy mash!

Ingredients - this does 2 big serves

Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin

Vegies
Any selection really - i used
1 onion, sliced
1 japanese eggplant - cut into long strips
handful of snow peas
handful of asparagus, trimmed
handful og choy sum or buk choy
4 big dried shtake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then squeezed and stems discarded (save 1/4 cup of saoking liquid)

Mash
3 potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk

Fish
2 salmon fillets

First make the teriyaki sauce. Add both sauces together in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes then let it cool.

Now put the potatoes on to boil in some salted water for about 15 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frypan and fry the salmon, each side should take 5-7 minutes. Make sure its nice and brown before turning. In a wok add a small amount of oil and cook onion until translucent, add eggplant and cook for 2-3 minutes, add rest of vegies and the shitake liquid and stir fry for another minute or so. Then add 1/2 of the teriyaki. Set aside.

Mash your potatoes with the milk and butter and season with salt and pepper. Your fish should be about ready now. Pour over the rest of the teriyaki and cook for another minute or so. For some reason the sauce mixed with the salmon oil becomes thicker and really yum!

To serve, put a big dollup of potato on the plate. Top with vegies and then a salmon fillet and spoon over the teriyaki sauce from the salmon pan. Hearty goodness - asian styles!

Mumma muffins, or babycakes

Oskar turned one last week, and the poor little fella had a bad case of tonsilitis so there was no celebrating at all going on, on the actual day. When he was feeling better I thought he'd like some kind of cake to enjoy. But he hasn't had eggs yet, nor any sugar apart from the stuff that comes in fruit.

So I used this recipe that I had scrawled down on a piece of paper some time - I really can't remember doing it. But they were unbelievably easy, quick, kinda healthy and most importantly made from ingredients I had in the pantry.

1 cup wholemeal SR flour
1/2 cup white SR flour
1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced
3 tbs sultanas
pinch of cinnamon
1 1/2 tbs oil (I used canola this time)
3/4 cup milk
2 tbs honey

* Preheat oven at 200C
* Mix all wet ingredients, then add to flour and stir until just combined.
* put in muffin cases/tins and cook for 15 mins