Tuna Stuffed Baked Potato

Today in Australia, we take the potato for granted because it is easy to grow, available all year round, in plentiful supply and cheap to buy.

Sadly, this was not the case in the 1840’s when the great famine swept through Ireland. Prior to this time, potatoes were the staple diet for the Irish (particularly in the poorer communities) until a disease “Potato Blight” ravaged potato crops throughout the island. Starvation, hunger and sickness, led to death and emigration of more than a quarter of Ireland’s population. There was not one potato to be eaten. Many were caught stealing to survive the deprivation, then incarcerated and deported to Australia to serve out their punishment... thus Australian convict history further unfolds.

Tuna Stuffed Baked Potato

The wholesome potato would have to be the most versatile vegetable, cooked and added to an endless range of dishes like soups, casseroles and salads and is essentially high in Vitamin B6 (provides energy), Potassium (benefits the heart and lowers blood pressure) and Vitamin C (to maintain a healthy immune system).

One of my favourite, easy to prepare nutritious snacks is a “Stuffed Baked Potato”.
Any sort of filling can be used depending on your taste, but I love to use tuna in olive oil for its vital sources of omega 3, (essential for Rheumatoid Arthritis) along with fresh herbs from my garden.

My recipe as follows:

 Wash, dry and fork 4 large potatoes, place and bake in fan forced oven
@ 200 degrees for approximately 1 hour

Have ready:

2 cans 95g tuna in olive oil (drained)
Finely diced and lightly fried cup of fennel bulb
Finely chopped fresh garlic chives
Finely chopped fresh mint
Finely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup grated tasty cheese
200g natural Greek yoghurt
Pinch of ground paprika
Salt and pepper

Tuna Mixture

Allow cooked potatoes to cool enough to handle, insert knife about 2cm from edge, cut around the top and discard skin. Scoop out the potato flesh and place into a bowl.

Add and mix in the rest of the ingredients, then spoon mixture into the scooped out potato jackets.

Place stuffed potatoes in oven for a further 10 minutes to heat through.

Serve immediately – always nice with a green salad.

Slow Cooked Beef Curry

Ingredients

• Oil
• 800g Gravy Beef or Osso Bucco, cut into 2.5cm pieces.

I prefer the Osso Bucco as the bone marrow adds a smooth texture and buttery flavour to the gravy. Bone marrow is also essentially beneficial for your health and strengthens the immune system.

• 2 brown onions, finely chopped
• 2 potatoes peeled and chopped into 2cm pieces
• 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
• 2 x 400gr can diced Italian tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 small hot chillies, finely chopped
• 2.5cm piece fresh root ginger in curry grated
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 beef stock cube
• 2 bay leaves

Home grown Pequin chilli peppers

To Serve:

• Greek style yoghurt
• Fresh chopped coriander
• Finely diced Lebanese cucumber
• Pappadums

Method

• Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the beef pieces for 4-5 minutes, or until browned all over. 
• Place whole diced tomatoes in slow cooker, then the browned meat.
• Heat remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the onions for five minutes, then add the garlic, chilli and ginger and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add the spices apart from garam masala and fry for another minute, then tip the mixture into the slow cooker.
• Add half of the empty diced tomato tin with water, pour into fry pan, add crumbled stock cube and stir to dissolve and soak up remaining spices before adding to slow cooker.
• Add Bay leaves and stir everything together, making sure everything is covered in liquid and cook for 8 hours on low.
• About 30 minutes before serving, stir in garam masala.
• Plate curry on a bed of steamed rice, topped with a dollop of yoghurt, finely diced Lebanese cucumber and chopped coriander.
• Serve with Pappadums

Variations:

I sometimes use sweet potato in place of ordinary potatoes.
May like to add more chilli - depending on your taste.

Gluten Free Pizza

Gluten free vegetarian pizza

...must say, I took a punt with this one!

On deciding to make a quick and easy homemade vegetarian pizza for dinner,

I set off to the supermarket to buy a gluten free pizza base.

Once I reached the pizza/wrap section, it reminded me why I rarely make a pizza,

for I only had two choices:

A - use a gluten free, wrap that looked as exciting as a shoe sole,

or B - pay $7.99 for an "authentic Italian" pizza base.

.... So I opted for C - go home and make my own!

I recalled recently reading a recipe for a Mediterranean-style pizza, in a magazine,

where the dough was made using self-raising flour and Greek style yogurt.

On my return home, I checked it out online to find it had numerous ratings of 5 stars!

Gluten free pizza dough

With a tub of Greek-style yogurt in my fridge

and gluten-free SR flour in my pantry,

I decided to give it a go...

It called for:

1 cup sifted flour mixed with 200 grams of yogurt until it forms a ball.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for about 5 minutes. I found it to be very soft and light.

Roll out the dough to form the base and placed onto a baking tray.

My pizza ready to pop into the oven

Onto the base, I spread tomato paste and topped with crushed clove of garlic, diced red onion and chilli. I then added grated tasty cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, capsicum and left over roast pumpkin. I added sliced pitted olives, chopped fresh basil and oregano.

In a 220 degree C preheated fan forced oven, I baked my pizza for 20 minutes.

The base was crusty, the

aroma of fresh basil wafted through the air

and the topping was scrumptious!

Ready to eat