Issue 19The Indonesian Cook

COLUMNIST: DINA WATT
The Indonesian CookFrom using red apple peels in the salad dressing to making the most of everything in season such as beetroot, chard, cabbage, spring onions, kale, and all kinds of berries, nothing gets wasted.
Recipe 1: Red Goddess Salad – serves 2
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Red Goddess DressingWhat you need:

a handful of Swiss chard, ‘Red Magic’, chopped (you can use any type of chard if you have not grown ‘Red Magic’)

peel of 1 red apple

½ boiled beetroot, chopped

½ avocado

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon of olive oil

salt & black pepper

¼ cup of water

juice of half a lemon

How to make it:Using a blender or hand blender, mix all the ingredients and blend until it becomes a red paste. Taste before seasoning and set aside.
For the saladWhat you need:

chopped red apple

chopped Swiss chard

chopped cabbage

chopped boiled beetroot

chopped Spring onions

seasonal berries

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How to make it: Prepare a large bowl of salad with enough fruit and vegetables as per your preference. If you love red apples, then add more of them. You can use all types of berries in season but in this recipe I used blackcurrants which add acidity to the salad.
You can add peanuts or cashew nuts into the mix but it is not really necessary as you get great crunch from the red apples.
Last but not least, add the red goddess salad dressing to the mixed fruits and vegetables. Mix well and serve.
Recipe 2: Beetroot Blinis with Smoked Scottish Salmon Canapes – 24 blinis Perfect to serve as pretty starters, this is my easy recipe to make special canapes.
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What you will need:

2 beetroots, peeled and boiled - do not throw away the (red) water from the beetroot boil as it is a very important ingredient to use in this recipe

1 cup of beetroot water (from boiling the beetroots earlier)

2 cups of plain flour

1 pinch of salt

1 tablespoon of oil

1 egg

butter

soft cheese spread

mint leaves

cranberries

How to make it: First we have to make the blinis. In a large mixing bowl add the flour, beetroot water, egg, salt, and oil. Mix well and set aside.
Set the stove to a medium heat, add butter to the pan, then using a tea spoon, pour the batter in gently and cook until browned. The size of the blinis should be kept small - usually you can make up until 8 blinis in one go.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool down before garnishing.
Start by spreading the soft cheese, then add a thin slice of beetroot, followed by a small slice of smoked Scottish salmon. Last but not least, garnish with mint leaves and cranberries. Please see pictures for guidance.
Recipe 3: Rich Beef & Kale Soup – serves 2-4 people Inspired by the delicious Indonesian beef noodle soup ‘Bakso' and the Vietnamese beef soup ‘Pho bo’, this is my simplest version of the two dishes.
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What is so special and unique about this recipe is that I am going to use kale stem to make the broth which not only adds more flavour, it is also great for your health.
What you need:

250gr beef steak preferably sirloin or rump

2.5 litres of water

a handful of kale - set aside the kale leaves and kale stem

1 brown onion, peeled, cut in 4

4-6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cube of beef stock

3-5 tablespoons of fish sauce

100gr cooked rice noodles

salt & black pepper

How to make it:Boil the water in a big pot. Add in the kale stem, garlic, onion, and beef steak. Boil for 45 minutes until beef steak has really softened. Then add seasoning such as beef stock, salt, black pepper, and fish sauce. Let it simmer for a further 10 minutes.
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Finally, pour the hot rich beef broth into each bowl to serve. Enjoy!
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Dina Watt ProfileDina Watt grew up in Bandung, West-Java, Indonesia, and now living in Aberdeenshire, she is known as The Indonesian Cook. Dina's love of nature and gardening fuels her passion for cooking. In her column, Dina shares her own adventurous recipes for delicious home cooked meals that are easy to make, mostly using homegrown, seasonal fruits and vegetables from her own kitchen garden. She is passionate about using every bit of the plant in order to practice zero-waste principles.
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