'Julie & Julia' Inspiration - Week 1 Day 1

CHICKEN DIM SUM 

Coconut buns

1 x 400g tin of light coconut milk

2 coconut tins (500g) of self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

Chicken, pickles & garnishes

2 x 200g skinless chicken breasts

140g mixed mushrooms (I used champions as I am not a fan of mushrooms)

3 tbsp hoi sin sauce, plus extra to serve

2 limes

200g tenderstem broccoli (I couldn't find the tenderstem ones so just used regular broccoli and it worked fine)

1 cucumber

1 tbsp low-salt soy sauce

1 tbsp rice or white wine vinegar (I personally like white wine vinegar so used this)

1/2 bunch of fresh coriander (Not a fan of coriander so left this out)

3 tbsp sesame seeds

1 x 105g pack of pickled ginger (Could not find at Coles so left this out)

1-2 fresh red chillies (Not a fan of chilli's so again left this out)

Ingredients out * Kettle Boiled * Food Processor (bowl blade) * 16 non-stick muffin cases * Two 25cm bamboo steamers * Wok, medium-high heat * Small frying pan, low heat

START COOKING

Pour the coconut milk into the processor with 2 heaped tins' worth of self-raising flour and a good pinch of salt, whiz to a dough, then tip on to a flour-dusted work surface.  Roll the dough into a sausage shape, cut into 8 even-sized pieces, then place each one into a double-layered muffin case, and squeeze those into one layer of the steamer.  Pour 5cm of boiling water into the wok, put the basket of buns on top with the lid on and leave to steam hard.

Cut the chicken into 1cm strips and toss into a bowl with the roughly torn mushrooms, hoi sin sauce, juice of 1/2 lime and a pinch of salt.  Tip into the second steamer basket along with the trimmed broccoli and pop underneath the tray of buns for 5 minutes unti cooked though.  Speed-peel the cucumber into ribbons, toss into a bowl with the soy sauce, vinegar and a few torn coriander leaves, then with clean hands squeeze and scrunch everything together to make a pickle.

Toast the sesame seeds in the frying pan until golden, then tip into a little bowl, cut the remaining 1 1/2 limes into wedges, and serve with the pickled ginger and extra hoi sin sauce in little bowls.  Serve the buns and chicken in the steamer trays, scattering everything with the remainder coriander leaves and finely sliced chilli.

NOTE:

-I didn't own any steamer bowls so visited my local 'cheap' shop and found 2 for $24.  

-I also own a very basic food processor and had no clue what a bowl blade was, so just used the normal chopping blade and it worked a treat!

-I used a large frying pan with the water on the bottom to place my steamers into and again worked just as well

-Speed peeling means grabbing your potato peeler and peeling long ways down the cucumber {really easy} and I didn't peel the cucumber first

-795 k cals

-16.4g fat

-6.2g sugar

-6.4g sat fat

After watching Julie & Julia the other night, I found myself longing to share the food my husband and I love cooking and eating at the present moment.  Jamie Oliver's 15 minute Meals is one of he first books that I have longed to cook out of.  Ok, so it might take a tad more than 15 minutes (but I am a hand washer, wiper and washer upper, so it takes me loads longer:)) but it is easy and delicious!

I may miss nights as we have dancing or work, but I will endeavour to share with you the recipe's I make and some things I learn whilst creating these meals.

Please feel free to share with me your version of the recipe's either in the comments or email me at lilian.oliver2@gmail.com and I will share in a blog post.

I hope you get some inspiration to try some of these (I would never have picked this recipe to try first but it is delish) and have fun!

xx