Mother's Day Menu idea

This week I have decided to put in a complete menu. It is from a book I was given about New Zealand fresh Markets called Dinner in a Basket by Judith Cullen. This book is split into months and talks about a different market in NZ for each month and then has a menu inspired by the visit to that month’s market in that month. So this is May’s menu from the Avondale Market in Auckland.
This is a weekend menu as the pork is a long slow cook one. I suggest that you might want to just do bits of the menu, or if you are keen you could do the entire thing for Mother’s Day.

Menu

Spicy Zucchini Soup, served with Soba Noodle Salad
Spicy Diced Pork in Wonton Cones
Slow Baked Pork Belly Slices with Orange and Soy
Zucchini and Noodle Pancakes
Roasted Cauliflower and Asian Greens with a Warm Spicy Dressing
Steamed Coconut Puddings with Nashi Pears in Kaffir Lime and Palm Sugar Syrup

(each recipe serves 4—6 people)

Spicy Zucchini Soup served with Soba Noodle Salad
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 stem fresh lemon grass, sliced (outer stems removed)
1 onion, sliced
1 kilo zucchini, chopped
1 leek, sliced
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 small fresh red chilli, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
½ can coconut milk — 1 cup
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced


In a large saucepan heat the oil. Add the onion, leek, chilli, ginger; garlic, lime leaves, and lemon grass. Sauté for 4—5 minutes or until the onion is cooked and soft.
Add the zucchini and cook For a Further 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except coriander and simmer until the zucchini is tender.
Add the chopped coriander.
Purée in batches and return to the saucepan. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To serve: ladle the zucchini soup into warm bowls and top Soba Noodle Salad (see above) and a sprinkling of chopped coriander.

Soba Noodle Salad
150 grams soba noodles
2 teaspoons fresh mint, finely chopped
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 tablespoon kecap manis
1 red pepper, halved, de-seeded and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped

Cook the noodles in boiling salted water for 4—5 minutes or until tender.
Refresh in cold water. Drain.
In a bowl combine the noodles with the remaining ingredients.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and leave for 30 minutes.

Spicy Diced Pork in Wonton Cones
1 kilo shoulder pork
¼ cup peanut oil
½ cup sea salt
1 fresh chill!, de-seeded and finely sliced
3 cm piece of fresh ginger
½ cup oyster sauce
300 grams fresh green beans, thinly sliced
¼ cup soy sauce
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup peanuts, roasted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 cup spring onions, thinly sliced
handful fresh coriander, chopped

Place the pork, ginger and sea salt in a large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the pork is just cooked
Drain the pork and refresh under cold water-. Cut the excess far from the pork and discard. Slice the meat into small pieces.
Combine the chilli, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and caster sugar.
Hear a large frying pan on high and add 1—2 tablespoons of peanut oil.
Pile in the pork. Stir fry until the pork is browned.
Add the sliced beans, celery, spring onions and peanuts then the oyster sauce mixture.
Mix to combine and heat through. Transfer to a bowl. Toss through chopped coriander.
Serve pork in Wonton Cones (see following) or in iceberg lettuce cups.

Slow Baked Pork Belly Slices with Orange and Soy
1 kilo pork belly, cut into 10-12 thick strips
2.5 cm piece of ginger thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 ½ cups beef stock
2 fresh chillies (red or green), de-seeded and finely chopped
½ cup soy sauce
1 disk of palm sugar or 2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup mirin (sweet rice vinegar)
1 cinnamon stick
juice and zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons coriander, chopped

In a large frying pan heat the oil and sear the pork strips on each side, in batches, until brown.
Return all the strips to the pan and cover with water. Simmer for 20 minutes. Drain the poaching liquid.
Add the stock, soy sauce, mirin, orange juice and zest, ginger, garlic, chillies, sugar and cinnamon. If necessary add enough water to cover pork.
Bring to the boil. Cover and gently simmer for 1 ½ hours.
Transfer the pork strips to a baking dish.
Boil the stock uncovered for 20 minutes or until thick and syrupy.
Just before serving grill the pork strips on each side until they start to crisp.
To serve: place pork slices on Zucchini and Noodle Pancakes with the reduced stock drizzled over the top.
Sprinkle with chopped coriander.

Wonton Cones
11 cm metal cones (come in a pack of six for creamed horns)
20 wonton wrappers
vegetable oil for frying

Wrap Wonton wrappers round the metal cones. Seal the edges a little t: Trim the tops.
Heat a small frying pan with 1 cm of oil. Shallow’ fry the cones in small batches. Turn to cook them evenly;
Drain on paper towels, Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers.
To serve: fill with the pork mixture and serve immediately.

Zucchini and Noodle Pancake
80 grams vermicelli noodles
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
½ cup coconut mi/k
4 egg whites
½ cup rice flour
vegetable oil
2 zucchini, grated and squeezed to remove moisture
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soak noodles in boiling water fin 5 minutes. I)rain.
In a medium sized bowl combine coconut milk and rice flour.
Add the drained noodles, grated zucchini and coriander.
Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, and gently fold into the noodle and zucchini mixture
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat ½ cm of oil in a frying pan. Cook a large spoon full of mixture until lightly golden on both sides Repent. Keep warm.
Serve topped with Slow Baked Pork Belly Slices with Orange and Soy

Roasted Cauliflower and Asian Greens with a warm spicy dressing
1 cauliflower, cut into florets with stalks removed
1 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
500 grams bok choy or a mixture of Asian greens (washed)
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin

Place the cauliflower in a baking dish. Drizzle with ½ the peanut oil and cover with tin foil. Roast for 30 minutes at 200C until the cauliflower is tender.
Wash the Asian greens thoroughly
In a large Frying pan lightly Fry the ground coriander, cumin and paprika until fragrant. Add the remainder of the peanut oil and garlic. Cook very gently until the garlic is golden.
Pile the wet bok choy or Asian greens in pan with lemon juice. Toss until wilted. Add the cauliflower and heat through.
Serve sprinkled with chopped coriander.

Steamed Coconut Puddings with Nashi Pears in Kaffir Lime and Palm Sugar Syrup
175 grams unsalted butter
1 ½ cups self raising flour
¾ cup caster sugar
½ cup fresh coconut, grated (or ¼ cup dried shredded coconut)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
¼ cup coconut milk
3 eggs


Grease and line the bottoms of 8 x 125 ml ramekins. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, whisk in the vanilla then the eggs one at a time.
Fold in the flour, grated coconut and coconut milk.
Spoon the mixture into the ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking dish.
Pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the side of the ramekins.
Cover the baking dish with tinfoil. Bake at 180 deg C for 30-35 minutes, until the puddings are well risen and firm to the touch.