Kiwi’s
Best
Kitchen
Mike’s wake-up shake
Serves 4
2 2 2 cups 2 tbsp 2 tbsp 4 Cubes Ripe bananas
Weetbix
Rice / soya milk
Raw cacao powder or cacao nibs
Maple syrup
of ice if you want a cold shake
Blend and enjoy
Benefits of using cacao
Magnesium: Cacao beans are one of the best dietary sources of magnesium — a mineral needed
for more than 300 biochemical reactions in our bodies — with 272mg per 100g. It’s important for
muscle and nerve function and keeps the heart rhythm steady.
Fibre: You don’t get any dietary fibre when you eat a chocolate bar, but you do when you snack on
cacao nibs: one ounce has nine grams!
Iron: Iron, which is necessary for red blood cell production, is found in cacao nibs. An ounce of the
raw nibs has six per cent of your recommended daily iron intake.
Antioxidants: Surely you’ve heard about the antioxidant power of dark chocolate. Well, that goes
even more for cacao beans, especially when eaten raw. Antioxidants are important for health because
they absorb the free radicals that cause damage in the body.
Mood improver: Neurotransmitters are the messengers in our brains that tell our bodies how to
act, and that includes mood. Cacao’s ability to act on those neurotransmitters is why it’s known
for its mood-enhancing skills. Chocolate and cacao stimulates the brain to release particular
neurotransmitters that can trigger emotions — including good ones like euphoria. That’s why some
people say chocolate is better than sex!
Kiwi’s Best Kitchen – Fieldays 2016 | Michael Van de Elzen | Mike’s wake-up shake
Kiwi’s
Best
Kitchen
Chickpea tuna crunch
Prep time: 5 mins
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained
1 cup natural almonds, coarsely crushed
1 170gm tin tuna in spring water
90g capers
1 Tbsp chives, finely chopped
Lemon vinaigrette
Prep time: 5 mins
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp olive oil
pinch salt
pinch pepper
METHOD
Tuna:
Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl, pour over lemon vinaigrette and toss to combine.
Lemon vinaigrette:
Whisk together lemon juice, honey and olive oil until combined. Season to taste.
Kiwi’s Best Kitchen – Fieldays 2016 | Michael Van de Elzen | Chickpea tuna crunch
Kiwi’s
Best
Kitchen
Dijon chicken with brown
rice and sliverbeet pesto
Serves 6
Spinach pesto (makes 1 cup)
250g chicken thigh, boneless and skinless
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
pinch salt
4 cups Brown
150ml vegetable stock or water
2 lemons, zested
200gm crumbly feta
½ cup watercress, rinsed and drained
150g sliverbeet, destalked
30g toasted cashews
30g grated parmesan
80ml olive oil
½ tsp salt
METHOD
Slice chicken thigh thinly and put in a bowl with mustard, olive oil and salt. Stir to evenly coat the
chicken. Heat a large pan or wok over a medium-high heat, add chicken and sauté for 2 minutes.
Empty rice packet into the pan, stir, then add stock and lemon zest. Continue to cook for 3-4
minutes. Transfer rice mix to a bowl and stir through ½ cup spinach pesto. Divide between two
serving dishes, crumble feta over the top and finish with watercress.
Spinach pesto
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add sliverbeet and cook for 10-20 seconds. Remove sliverbeet
from pot and refresh in ice-cold water. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to
combine. (You want to retain colour and some texture so don’t overdo it).
Kiwi’s Best Kitchen – Fieldays 2015 | Michael Van de Elzen | Dijon chicken with brown rice and silverbeet pesto
Kiwi’s
Best
Kitchen
House rub from scratch
1 tbsp 4 tbsp 2 tbsp 1 tbsp 2 tbsp 2 tbsp ½ tsp 1 tbsp 2 tbsp each-mustard, cumin and coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
Seasalt
Brown sugar
Mustard powder
Dried mixed herbs
Smoked paprika
Cayenne pepper
Cracked pepper
Garlic powder
Mix all the rub ingredients together.
Store in an air tight container.
Kiwi’s Best Kitchen – Fieldays 2016 | Michael Van de Elzen | House rub from scratch
Kiwi’s
Best
Kitchen
Dry rub lamb ribs!
Serves 6
2 kg lamb rack
5 star anise
1 tbsp salt
5 bay leaves
1 tbsp peppercorns
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
5 tbsp awesome rub
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 190c. place first 5 ingredients in a large pot and bring up to the boil, reduce the
heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain well and turn bone out onto a tray.
2. Cut ribs into individual ribs, rub with Dijon mustard and sprinkle dry rub over.
Roast for 30 minutes
Kiwi’s Best Kitchen – Fieldays 2016 | Michael Van de Elzen | Dry rub lamb ribs!
Kiwi’s
Best
Kitchen
Steak and cheese pies
serves 4
Steak filling
1 sheet puff pastry, cut into 10cm rounds
½ onion, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
250 gm rump steak cut into strips
2 Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
12 cherry tomatoes
Topping
1 cup cooked potatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp low fat milk
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan
Pinch white pepper and salt
1 egg beaten for egg wash
METHOD
Pre heat oven to 180 degrees.
Heat a heavy-based fry pan, add oil and sauté onions, garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add beef
strips, mushrooms, and mustard.
Cook for 2-3 minutes then add the cherry tomatoes, season and combine
Mash potatoes with olive oil, milk and ½ of the grated Parmesan.
Pile steak mixture into the center of pastry disk, and pipe potato mixture on top with the other ½ of
Parmesan. Egg wash the outside of the pastry disk.
Bake on 180 for 10 minutes or until golden
Kiwi’s Best Kitchen – Fieldays 2016 | Michael Van de Elzen | Steak and cheese pies
Kiwi’s
Best
Kitchen
Smokey oyster gratin
Serves 4
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins
8 small Agria potatoes
1 cup cream
4 tbsp finely grated parmesan
1 egg
pinch white pepper
100g butter
100g flour
500ml milk
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp salt
1 cup sliced leek, white only
1 cup chopped celery, with leaves
1 cup peas
¼ cup finely grated parmesan
12 fresh oysters
2 cups smoking dust
METHOD
Lay smoking dust out onto cast iron pan and place oysters on top, cover with tin foil. Heat over
high heat until allot of smoke appears. Turn of heat and leave under tin foil for 10 minutes before
removeing.
Preheat oven to 180*C. Peel potatoes and slice into thin discs.
Whisk together cream, first measure of parmesan, egg and pepper in a bowl.
Add potato to cream mix, coat well and leave to soak.
Melt butter in a large saucepan, add flour and whisk together. Gradually add milk while whisking until
thick.
Add mustard, salt, leek, celery and peas. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, add smoked oysters.
Transfer to a 30cm greased pie dish. Fan out creamy potato slices over pie filling. Sprinkle over
second measure of parmesan and bake in oven for 40 minutes.
Kiwi’s Best Kitchen – Fieldays 2016 | Michael Van de Elzen | Smokey oyster gratin
Kiwi’s
Best
Kitchen
Spiced seafood steaks
serves 4
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
2 large fish steaks, hapuka,
kingfish or similar
1 tbsp olive oil
Energy salad
Prep time: 15 mins
Avocado dressing
Prep time: 2 mins
¾ cup natural almonds
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup grated fresh beetroot
1 apple, peeled and diced
2 cups cooked lentils in spring
water
3 tbsp chopped mint
juice of ½ lemon
pinch salt
1 avocado
½ cup natural unsweetened
yoghurt
juice of ½ lemon
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180*C. Toast seeds in a hot frying pan until fragrant, then crush to a fine powder in
mortar and pestle. Coat fish with spice rub. Heat oil in a frying pan and sear steaks – 1 minute on
each side. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then serve with energy salad and
avocado dressing.
Energy Salad
Toast almonds in a hot frying pan for 3-4 minutes, then coarsely crush in a mortar and pestle.
Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl and toss to combine.
Avacado Dressing
Beat together all ingredients until smooth.
Kiwi’s Best Kitchen – Fieldays 2016 | Michael Van de Elzen | Steak and cheese pies