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Bursting with flavour: Cauliflower steaks with feta

<div class="article-body"> <p>If you're looking for a new light meal, the cauliflower base of this recipe has loads of health benefits - plus it's beautifully seasoned with za'atar and chipotle flakes.</p> <p><strong>Serves: </strong>2</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>1 large cauliflower</li> <li>2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>2 teaspoons za’atar</li> <li>Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</li> </ul> <p><strong>To serve</strong></p> <ul> <li>150g feta cheese, crumbled</li> <li>2 teaspoons chipotle chilli flakes</li> <li>2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves</li> </ul> <p><strong>Directions</strong></p> <ol> <li>Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.</li> <li>Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.</li> <li>Take the cauliflower and turn it stalk up on a chopping board. You want to get two cauliflower steaks, each about 2 centimetres thick, with the stalk holding them together.</li> <li>Slice off the side florets and save those for another day - to make cauliflower rice or eat as crudités, for example.</li> <li>Put the two steaks side by side on the baking paper and drizzle with the oil and za’atar. Rub with your hands to make sure both sides are evenly covered and add a little salt and pepper.</li> <li>Cook in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The steaks should be golden brown and starting to char around the edges.</li> <li>To serve, cover each steak with feta, sprinkle with chilli flakes, drizzle with olive oil and scatter with oregano.</li> </ol> <p><em>This is an edited extract from <a rel="noopener" href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=https://www.booktopia.com.au/pioppi-diet-dr-aseem-malhotra/prod9781405932639.html" target="_blank">The Pioppi Diet  by Dr Aseem Halhotra &amp; Donal O'Neill</a>, Penguin Books, RRP $24.99.</em></p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/cauliflower-steaks-with-feta.aspx" target="_blank">Wyza.com.au</a>.</em></p> </div>

Food & Wine

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Refresh with naturally flavoured water

<p>We all know how important it is to keep hydrated for over-all wellbeing. If you struggle to get your regular 6-8 glasses a day, there's a great way to turn a jug of water into something more exotic; and it's also really simple! <br /><br />Restaurants. hotels and cafes have been doing it for years, but now it’s your turn to transform your jug of water in to an invigorating summer drink by adding natural flavour to it. From melon to berries to lime, you can even use a vegetable like cucumber to give your plain old water a refreshing makeover. <br /><br />Flavoured water is a great alternative to high calorie sugary drinks that aren’t good for us and caffeinated beverages that usually leave us even more dehydrated. Making flavoured water can be as easy as cutting up some wedges of oranges, lemon or lime or you can mash up some strawberries and raspberries and add a touch of green with fresh mint or basil leaves from your garden. <br />However if you’re really committed to the cause, investing in a water flavour infuser could be the way to go. <br />There’s a variety of infuser options out there with everything from jugs to drink bottles available in stores such as Myer and Target or you can also purchase them online on sites.</p> <p>Jugs generally come with an infusion rod or a strainer pitcher built in the lid – so if you don't want to combine the actual fruit pieces in with the water, an infuser jug is the way to go. Infuser jugs are ideal especially if you’re entertaining guests or spending most of the day outside. If t’s just for yourself, an infuser drink bottle is a great little contraption to take with you on a walk or in the car.</p> <p><em>Written by Tahlia Pritchard. Republished </em><em>with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/food-and-wine/naturally-flavoured-water.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Top chef’s clever $4 hack to improve the flavour of airline food

<p>A top chef has revealed a clever trick for improving the taste of airline foods.</p> <p>Jason Atherton, who earned a Michelin star in 2011 at his London restaurant Pollen Street Social and now runs restaurant group The Social Company, spoke to newspaper <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/kB8rESIBU5X87BEb2uEv9L/Cutting-the-room-service-line-and-other-travel-hacks.html">Mint</a> </strong></em></span>about his best travel tips.</p> <p>The British chef, who said he flew around 800,000 kilometres a year, said he tries to avoid eating airline food but when he does he used this tip provided by his friend actor Jude Law.</p> <p>“It was Law who told me to always take Tabasco on a plane,” he said, referring to the spicy sauce you can buy at the supermarket for just $4. </p> <p>“Aeroplane food is always bland, so it’s great to give it kick.</p> <p>“But I just try my hardest not to eat on planes. I can normally do it up to about 12 hours. If I go to Australia, I have to eat, obviously, because it’s 24 hours on a plane for me.</p> <p>“I just eat the protein, drowned in Tabasco, which tastes OK — well, it tastes of Tabasco, to be honest.”</p> <p><img width="397" height="611" src="https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/ca03ff450cb3fcf554c59a087b98b1ab" alt="A small bottle of this in your carry-on bag could take your in-flight meal from “not great” to “not bad”." style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>It makes sense that a spicy sauce improves the flavour of food in pressurised cabin, where both our senses of taste and smell are dulled.</p> <p>The cabin pressure particularly impacts our sensitivity to sweet and salty flavours, which can be diminished by as much as 30 per cent during a flight.</p>

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Slow-cooked pork belly with Asian flavours

<p>Slow-cooking pork belly creates a super tasty treat – its high fat content makes it rich and incredibly succulent.</p> <p>This dish can be cooked a day or two ahead: let the pork cool in the cooking liquid then remove to a flat plate or tray, cover and refrigerate. Slice the meat and let it come to room temperature before grilling.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Serves:</span></strong> 4-6</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>1.25-1.5kg piece or pieces of pork belly (bones removed)</li> <li>1 tablespoon peanut oil</li> <li>1 tablespoon sesame oil</li> <li>2 medium cinnamon sticks</li> <li>3 whole star anise</li> <li>1 thumb ginger, peeled and finely sliced</li> <li>3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced</li> <li>200ml orange juice</li> <li>¼ cup brown sugar, plus 1-2 tablespoons extra for gravy </li> <li>¼ cup soy sauce</li> <li>2 tablespoons rice vinegar</li> <li>1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol start="1"> <li>Heat oven to 150°C. If the pork skin hasn't already been scored, do this with a very sharp knife, in lines about a finger-width apart. </li> <li>Heat peanut and sesame oils in a flameproof casserole large enough to hold the pork snugly. Sear pork on both sides, finishing with the pork skin side up.</li> <li>Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl or large jug. Pour over and around pork. The liquid should come at least two-thirds of the way up the meat – if necessary add water.</li> <li>Place a piece of baking paper inside casserole over pork and cover with casserole lid. Place in the oven and cook 3 hours until pork is very soft. (This dish can also be cooked on the stove top at a gentle simmer for 3 hours.)</li> <li>Carefully remove pork from juices and allow to rest 15 minutes then pat skin dry with a paper towel. Place pork skin side up under a pre-heated grill until the skin starts to crackle. </li> <li>To reduce the cooking liquid for serving as a gravy, pour it through a sieve into a small saucepan, adding an extra 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar, and simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook until reduced and thickened slightly. For a thicker sauce, add a little cornflour. </li> <li>Serve pork with the gravy and garnished with chopped spring onions and coriander leaves if desired.</li> </ol> <p><em>Written by Bernadette Hogg. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>. Image credit: Manja Wachsmuth.</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Cadbury announce very interesting new flavours

<p>Few things cause Australians to get up in arms but a change to the Cadbury milk chocolate flavours is one of them. The chocolate giant have announced they are innovating with flavours, but their new suggestions of Kale Crème, Wasabi Crunch and Beetroot Jelly is dividing public opinion.</p> <p>Chocolate inventor Dave Shepard says the new flavours are part of the brands goal for “innovation and experimentation. Past innovations have included Nut Crunch and Marvellous Creations bars, both of which were received well. On the other end of the spectrum is Cadbury’s release of Vegemite flavoured milk chocolate, a controversial release.  </p> <p>The new flavour ideas are said to reflect social trends towards new, quirky taste combinations. Kale Crème is believed to tap into a rise in demand for savoury chocolate flavours, will Beetroot Jelly is aimed at superfood-lovers and Wasabi Crunch targets the “popularity of Asian flavours,” according to Shepard.</p> <p>“We like to think of it as akin to the fashion catwalk — we’re experimenting with ideas that won’t actually appear on the shelves,” he said. “Instead you may see new flavours inspired by these further down the line.</p> <p>While you may not see the whacky chocolates in single bars in the supermarket aisle during your next shop, they might make their way into the Cadbury Milk Tray.</p> <p>Tell us: would you try Cadbury’s wacky new flavour innovations?</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2015/12/3-ingredient-cheesecake-recipe/">Why are people going crazy for this cheesecake recipe from Japan?</a></strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2015/12/chocolate-slices-invention/">You can now buy slices of chocolate just like cheese singles</a></strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/11/chocolate-chip-blondies/">Chocolate chip blondies</a></strong></p>

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