LABneh: Strained Yoghurt

Posted on May 28, 2012 by theLABkitchen

Labneh has become a little trendy recently as an ‘ethnic’ food. Really all it means is that people have figured out they can charge a premium for something that most Southern European, North African and Middle Eastern cultures have made for eons is actually very delicious and easy to make. Seriously, take yoghurt, mix in a little salt and strain.

Labneh or as it shall henceforth be known, LABneh (it was meant to be – clearly), has so many uses that I am just discovering, you could use it somewhat like cream cheese as a spread or a base for dips, otherwise use it instead of sour cream or even rolled into balls a bit like mozzarella. LABneh retains its tangy yoghurt flavour, but it becomes more interesting.

LABneh in pita bread


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Flour Tortillas

Posted on May 25, 2012 by theLABkitchen

How to wrap up a week about burritos? A tortilla of course!

You could go to the store and buy a stale, chewy, salty, plastic-y tortilla but fresh homemade tortillas are sooooo much better and they are really pretty simple to make. They’re simple enough that I got K to make them – admittedly they were slightly more shaped like Australia than a sombrero, but they still successful encompassed their tasty filling. These photos are from a second batch that I made to use up all the leftover fillings (we made double all the recipes and ended up with 28 burritos!) which is why they are roundish.

Burrito week all wrapped up!


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Spanish Rice

Posted on May 24, 2012 by theLABkitchen

You have to admit that Mexican food takes normal food and makes it amazing: mince meat becomes smokey and spicy; tomatoes become a lively salsa and rice gets stuffed full of flavour and becomes Spanish/Mexican rice!

This picture might be getting repetitive…but seriously, so delicious!


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Posted in Frugal Foods, Ingredient Prep, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Vegan and Delicious, Vegetarian | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Guacamole!

Posted on May 23, 2012 by theLABkitchen

I reckon I could eat this stuff by the bucket! Guacamole is one of my favourite foods (I know, I know, I say that a lot, but I have a big heart to love lots of foods!)

This guac is pretty standard with one secret LAB addition that people seem to love. So if you make guacamole already, have a look at the ingredients and give the secret ingredient a go; and if you don’t already make it… well I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t make something so tasty and easy – so go make guacamole now!

This guacamole has lots of optional additions which you would add depending on what you’re using you guacamole for. As a dip it is nice to have a few extra flavours and textures so some crunchy capsicum and tomato is great. If I had fresh salsa for my burrito or taco already I’d leave some of the repeat ingredients out like tomato and fresh jalapeños so that each component of dish has its own unique contribution.

Some guacamole with burrito buddies: rice, smokey mince and more jalapenos!


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Posted in Dips, Healthy and Tasty, Ingredient Prep, Side Dishes, Snacks, Vegan Option, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Smokey Chipotle Mince

Posted on May 22, 2012 by theLABkitchen

Today we continue to explore the flavours that Mexico brings to the global food table with smokey mince.

This mince is smokey, spiced and completely moreish. It is very simple and often I would add corn and tomato, but I wanted a really clean taste for each component to the burritos, so each mouthful had lots of separate, unique flavours that came together with each bite.

Building a Burrito with Smokey Chipotle Mince


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Fresh Salsa: Pico De Gallo

Posted on May 21, 2012 by theLABkitchen

Any quest for flavour is likely to dwell in Mexico for quite some time, exploring the chilli peaks and quesadilla plains. This week will be a journey through the components of homemade burritos where all the components are made as much from scratch as possible.

We start with a fresh salsa, a pico de gallo or “rooster’s beak.”

It makes a vibrant accompaniment to any Mexican dish, but I also love turning it into a filling salad by added a cup of cooked black beans. Consider leaving the cumin and coriander seeds out if you are having it with a burrito, but as a salad it adds a lot to the meal.

Fresh salsa, the jars of salsa just do not compare at all


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Posted in Dips, Healthy and Tasty, Ingredient Prep, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegan and Delicious | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Echalion and Goats Cheese Tart

Posted on May 18, 2012 by theLABkitchen

We found echalions at our local supermarket and I just had to try them. The first time we just baked them and served them with the Blue Cheese Cauliflower Bake. They were so delicious they inspired a whole dish.

Echalions seem to be a new variety of onion crossed with shallots. They are very sweet when cooked and more mild than most onions. Given they are still uncommon, as an alternative you can use shallots or red onion wedges prepared the same way, or leeks fried in a little butter.

I love the combination of onions and goats cheese. It is such a beautiful marriage of sweetness and tanginess, perhaps it’s because you’d expect the onion to be tangy and the cheese to be smooth that they opposite takes you by a delicious surprise in each mouthful.

What a combination: echalions were delicious with goats cheese


I am not providing a pastry recipe because it is not my forte. I am not a pastry inventor but a filling inventor. I still made my tart pastry and recommend you do to. If you must use store bought, try to get a good quality shortcrust. There is no point having a luscious filling if you skimp on the pastry.
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Chestnut Cream Tart with Morello Cherries and Orange

Posted on May 17, 2012 by theLABkitchen

This tart is just glorious as the cool weather starts at the beginning of winter and the chestnuts are fresh and plump. The chestnuts seem to carry a sense of warmth even when the tart is cool and the orange and cherries accentuate the creamy chestnut filling.

This is probably the most unique recipe so far on the LAB kitchen and something that I think turned out even better than expected. Once I decided on the flavours for the tart I tried to find some recipes for guidance on the internet but came up with nothing, so this is definitely a LAB signature recipe.

After finding chestnuts at the markets I felt urged to do something wonderful with them and this tart lived up to my desire. The tart is very creamy, almost like a very light cheesecake.

You could cook the pie filling in little ramekins without the pastry base for a gluten-free dessert. This would also be a beautiful way to end a Fall dinner just served warm, like little pots of love.

I would probably recommend buying chestnut puree unless you have a few extra hands around the kitchen to help peel the chestnuts. Also, making the puree adds quite a bit of time to a fairly simple tart. Of course fresh chestnut puree is lovely and I’ll probably make it once a year as a treat for chestnut season.

So beautiful


As the tart is quite delicate, use a pan from which you can easily remove the final tart such as a spring-form pan or a pan with a base that lifts out.

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Posted in Dessert, Vegetarian | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Chestnut Puree

Posted on May 16, 2012 by theLABkitchen

Chestnuts took over my brain a few weeks ago when I saw them at the markets. I had an urge to find something amazing to do with them, which is coming tomorrow. Look at them, they’re strangely cute with all their beautiful brown curves all over the place.

But in the interim, here is a recipe to make the puree. After making it I would recommend buying a can or a jar of chestnut puree. While I found a reasonably easy way to prepare the chestnuts, it was not without nearly destroying my right thumb on sharp scalding chestnuts.

Ok, now that I’ve put you off, trust me this is the best way to get a roasted chestnut puree and fresh roasted chestnut puree is pretty amazing!

Like shiny brown pearls


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Hummus

Posted on May 15, 2012 by theLABkitchen

Homemade hummus is so much tastier than store bought, plus it’s easy and cheaper, so you have no excuse not to make it!

When you make hummus at home you can get it just how you like it: with chilli or without; with tahini or without; with capsicum (peppers) or without. This is a great recipe to experiment with as there are hundreds of amazing flavours that work with the chickpea base.

I don’t usually add tahini even though that is traditional as I have found many friends don’t like the slightly bitter flavour that it brings to the hummus. Often people who don’t like hummus from a store like this version and I believe that it’s because of the tahini.

This could be the perfect hummus


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