Finger Food | Finding Feasts

Crispy Thai Chicken Nuggets

Crispy Thai Chicken Nuggets are so amazingly moreish you could quite possibly fall into a food coma if you made enough of them – hubby almost did!

With the last of my thai paste sitting idle in the freezer – there wasn’t quite enough left to make a family pot of thai curry, the next dream recipe that popped into my mind was deep fried chicken nuggets, and what an amazing lightbulb of a meal idea it was! These nuggets are so moist, so tender, full of amazing flavours and with the indulgent use of deep frying, deliciously naughty as well.

Balance out the meal with some steamed vegetables such as garlic beans and a stir fried zucchini noodle dish and you won’t feel so bad indulging in these bite size morsels of flavoursome chicken nuggets.

Tip: Don’t be tempted to make this dish a little ‘healthier’ by using chicken breast, as you need the fuller flavour of the chicken thighs as well as the moist meat that the thigh fillets have to successfully make these nuggets.

Make, indulge and enjoy… Blondie 🙂

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Spinach Pie Crust – Vegetable Pie Crust

Spinach Pie Crust – Vegetable Pie Crust is a fantastic recipe for when you want to mix it up a little.

This is an adaptation from one of my most favourite cookbooks, The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen. I haven’t strayed too far away from the original but I HIGHLY recommend getting a copy of this book if you want more stunningly beautiful and simple recipes.

I will be making the mushroom and yoghurt pie from this book using this pie base, as suggested, but through pot luck I had about 1/2 cup of mixture left over so decided to make some Savoury Spinach and Parmesan Biscuits… Stunning! and a great addition to cheese board or Charcuterie platter.

Enjoy the greenery… Blondie

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Wild Mushroom Tarte Tatin with Taleggio and Vino Cotto Drizzle

Wild Mushroom Tarte Tatin with Taleggio and Vino Cotto Drizzle… With Mother’s Day only a month away, I thought I would put up a recipe that would surely bowl her over, especially if you turn up with a bottle of bubbly to go along with it – it would certainly put a smile on my face!

I have used Pine Mushrooms aka Saffron mIlk Cap Mushrooms because the colour is so vibrant and they still retain a firm texture (and I have a ton from our last mushrooming venture!) but if you are having trouble getting a hold of them you could use a Swiss brown and button mushroom mix.

The Vino Cotto adds a gorgeous sweetness to the earthy mushrooms and the melted Taleggio is to die for. Each crispy bite is heaven!

This is such an adaptable dish for whatever the occasion is as you can make a large version to share around a table, or individual tarts that can be served with a little salad on the side as an entree or even as finger food, made in little muffin tins to pass around at parties – and everyone is going to love them!

Happy Mother’s Day! Blondie

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Pickled Green Tomatoes

FinSki's_PIckled Toms Plants — Click on image for recipe

What’s would you make with green tomatoes?

For me it has to be pickled green tomatoes, just perfect with some sourdough bread, a strong cheese and your favourite glass of wine!

The photo you are looking at is of my neighbour’s (Denise) backyard fence which faces onto our carport entry.

Beginning of spring she planted a couple of grape tomato trees and they have GONE WILD! They are the most amazing looking plants which could almost have a starring role in a movie like ‘the attack of the killer tomato trees’ and to my luck they have decided to jump over the fence and grow on my side but hey not that I am complaining! I have already informed Denise that what is on my side is fair game so with bowl and scissors in hand off I went to pick these gorgeous little green plump babies.

About 20 years ago mum made a gorgeous green tomato pickle from her home grown tomatoes and I always promised myself that one day I would add this to my cooking repertoire so that one day was two weeks ago! I currently have them sitting in my fridge, developing their pickled flavour, ready for Christmas nibbles and drinks!

A huge thank you should go to Denise as well for allowing her green babies to grown on my side and for sharing them with me!

PIckled Green Tomatos — Click on image for recipe

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Wild Yeast Sourdough Bread Step-By-Step

Finding Feasts - Wild Yeast Sourdough Bread Rolls_3 (1) — Click image for recipe

Wild Yeast Sourdough Bread Step-By-Step is my very simple instructional guide on how to have sourdough bread available in your own home for whenever the mood takes you… or when the mood takes you a day prior to having the mood… Good things take time.

Although a wild yeast starter is as basic as flour and water then letting nature take over, I did choose to have my hand held by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipe guidance as every time I make a dish of his it’s always exactly as he says it is. I made the starter over two months ago and it’s still a loving ‘pet’ who doesn’t expect too much from me other than a feed and maybe a warm hug.

Just the fact you can create amazing loaves of freshly baked bread at absolutely minimal cost to yourself is well worth you trying your hand at a wild yeast starter. The kids would love to have something to look after!

Maintenance of your new starter is probably where most people seem to have difficulty so here is my routine… and it seems to like the lifestyle.

As I usually make bread on the weekend I put my starter to sleep during the week, or more appropriately into a slight lull. So on the Sunday I give it a feed without too much water making the consistency more like a paste than a batter. Cover it and pop it into the fridge, that’s it! This will give it enough food to last for a week in the fridge as it won’t need too much being in the cold.

On the Friday I take it out of the fridge and give it a good stir leaving it to get back to room temperature. Tip out some of the starter* then give it it’s usual feed with flour and enough water to get it back to the batter consistency and use over the weekend.

Note* I dislike tipping my starter down the drain, it really seems like such a waste, so if you have people around you that would like to try their hand at sourdough bread making, give them your excess. Just pour it into a jar, and send it on it’s way… spread the love.

Repeat the process.

This works particularly well if you go away on holidays too. Just make sure it’s thick enough with flour to feed it for the week or two while it’s in the fridge and it will happily wait for your return.

If you keep in your mind that it’s now a member of the family, just like a new pet, you can have a long and successful life together.

Happy crunching and crumb licking!

Blondie 🙂

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Gruyer Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms with gruyer — Click on image for recipe

Each year, around November I ask myself the same old question…what the heck happened to the year? I mean it seems that one week I am packing up the Christmas tree, the next I am explaining to Imogen why Woolworths has Easter eggs out when we still have Christmas wrapping waiting to be recycled and shortly after it’s back to making Santa lists!

Regardless of how fast the year flies by I have to admit, I love the silly season. After 11 months of working your fingers to the bone there is a sense of relaxation, that care free attitude, happiness, drinks and parties and more drinks!

So with the cocktail and Christmas parties literally just around the corner (some of you have have gotten a head start) here is a divine finger food recipe that goes well with wine and or bubbles. Guryer stuffed mushrooms. Its dead easy to make and your guests will be lining up for more and more!

Got a favourite finger food recipe?

Wishing you a a fantastic silly season!

BellaLeave a comment

Oil Free, Skin Free ‘Fried Chicken’

Yep, that’s right! Oil Free, Skin Free ‘Fried Chicken’ drumsticks – These are soooo good that you seriously can’t believe it till you actually make them yourselves.

This is a recipe adopted from The Food Truck with Chef Michael van de Elzen. Hubby and I love this show (this is the only cooking show he enjoys). Every meal Chef Michael Van Elzen converts to a healthier version of stock standard fast food is just so mouth wateringly good – I literally drooled over the burger episode.

This chicken has a covering that is crispy and oh so tasty, the meat is succulent and flavourful (be sure to buy ‘happy’ chicken) and all the family will adore it. It is just as good eaten cold the next day, so make a batch for your next picnic.

Truly finger lickin’ good! Blondie

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