It’s been a couple of weeks since this dinner party. Somewhat uncharacteristically, I didn’t take a single photo. It took all my energy to get the food to the table. Little did I know, I was being hit with a nasty virus which took complete control of me sometime around midnight that same evening and didn’t let go for several days.

The company was wonderful, the menu a success and the time has come for me to share the details. Without photos. This was a mid week dinner so three courses sufficed.

Entree
Mushroom and hazelnut salad with home baked dinner rolls

Main
Salmon with herb and walnut salsa and strawberry and feta salad

Dessert
Orange panna cotta with choc dipped candied peel

Mushroom and Hazelnut salad
typed on a scrap of plain paper, no idea where this came from originally
4 tablespoons olive oil
225g mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon honey
seasoning
salad greens for 4 people
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oi over moderate heat in fry pan. Add mushrooms and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Whisk together remaining oil, garlic, vinegar, chives, honey and seasoning
  3. Toss salad greens with half the dressing and place on individual plates.
  4. Top with mushrooms and drizzle with remaining dressing.
  5. Garnish with hazelnuts


Salmon with herb and walnut salsa
adapted from Super Food Ideas
1/3 cup putted green olives, halved
3/3 cup fresh coriander, chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup roasted walnut pieces, coarsely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespons red wine vinegar
3 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
12 teaspoon muscovado
900g piece salmon
juice 1 lemon
lemon wedges to serve

  1. Place olives in a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 30 minutes. Drain.
  2. Combine olives, coriander, basil, walnuts, onion and stir to combine.
  3. Whisk together vinegar, oil and muscovado. Add to olive mixture and toss until well combined. Season with pepper.
  4. Prhet oven to 200 degrees. Line a roasting an with non stick baking paper. Place salmon in pan. Drizzle over lemon juice and season with pepper. Cover with non stick baking paper. Bake for 20 minutes or until it flakes when tested with a fork.
  5. Transfer samon to serving platter. Top with olive mixture. Serve with lemon wedges.


Strawberries and Feta Salad
this scrap of paper has been floating around for longer than I can remember and has been one of my my Christmas salads for nigh on 20 years now
juice 1/2 orange
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon muscovado
4 cups salad greens
1 cup quartered strawberries
1/4 cup crumbled Danish feta

  1. Combine orange juice, vinegar, oil and muscovado and whisk.
  2. Combine greens, strawberries and feta in a large bowl. Dress immediately before serving.


Orange panna cotta
adapted from Super Food Ideas
oil to grease
600ml pure cream
159ml milk
2 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
100g caster sugar
2 tablespoons boiling water
3 leaves gelatine
1 egg white

  1. Grease 12 cup capacity moulds or just use ungreased serving glasses and don’t unmould
  2. Place cream, milk and orannge rind in saucepan (r thermomixz) and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 10 minutesor until sugar dissolves and mixture is heated through (90 degrees, 10 minutes, speed 3).
  3. Strain through a fine sieve into a heat proof jog
  4. Place water in small bowl. Add gelatine. Soak for 10 minutes. Squeeze water out of leaves and add to cream mixture.
  5. Pour mixture evenly amongst moulds.
  6. Refrigerate until set. Four hours or more