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Several weeks ago one of my dearest friends had some very bad news. Originally from Wales, she has made her home in Australia for more than 20 years. Since she moved to Queensland to start a new job a couple of years ago, we have seen less of each other but we do manage to stay close and visit each other as much as possible.
Her Dad had a stroke a few weeks ago. There is no one to look out for him and unfortunately he is still living far away in Wales. After she rang me in tears I dashed off to help her pack up her life and store it away. She’ll be back, but possibly not for a year. There are all kinds of things that you have to do when you are going away for a while and the least of them is buying an airline ticket. Some of her things could easily be discarded, like that fluffy jumper with the owl on it * just saying* there were a few clothes that should never have been allocated hanging space, also. Other things are far more problematic- a car, wardrobes, your bed…… all that kitchenstuff you don’t want to part with or don’t want to replace again. She managed to sublet her house to a family who have furniture and she had exactly 2 weeks. I arrived in the last 4 days when things just got too much for her. I came along to offer up support and use up the stuff in the fridge for moving day when we’d be starving.
Just in case you are wondering, she managed to find a company called Fort Knox Storage, who would not only provide her with secure month by month storage but gave her great tips for how much space she would need, how to pack things quickly and efficiently and also provided not only the boxes and packaging materials but a free trailer as well. Lets not talk about how bad I am backing up a trailer. She’s got access 24/7 and they have security on site. Well she doesn’t really have to worry about it for a while and she can pay monthly on line. I can’t believe how it worked out . So my next mission on our last day was to use up some of her bits and pieces, in a cooking sense of course. The last hard day needed food. That’s possibly what I am best at.
She’s been gone a couple of weeks now. Life has changed for her and she’ll have to sacrifice her own life for a while, but I feel happy that she has her stuff in storage cause thats my insurance she will be coming back. So for moving day snacks I made some Nori rolls from chicken, carrot, asparagus and a can of chick peas and some lovely savoury muffins out of a can of corn and some left over cheese. Yes I did, and here come the recipes.
Teriyaki Chicken Chickpea Nori
Ingredients
- 1 packet nori seaweed paper
- 400 gm chickpeas 1 can, drained
- 20 gm wasabi
- 40 gm Mayonnaise or Kewpey, 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 20 ml lime or lemon juice, 1 tablespoon
- salt
Teriyaki Chicken
- 500 gm Chicken fillet strips, tenderloins
- 40 ml Kikoman or light soy sauce, 2 tablespoon
- 40 ml maple syrup 2 tablespoons
- 20 ml Sesame oil 1 tablespoon
- 20 ml lemon Juice 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 clove garlic crushed
Pickled carrot
- 2 cups carrot thick grated
- 2 tablespoons fine sugar
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 40 ml rice vinegar or wine vinegar, 2 Tablespoons
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 zip lock bag
- 1 bunch Asparagus
- 40 ml oil 2 tablespoons
Instructions
To make the carrot.
- Mix the carrot, sugar, salt, vinegar and ginger together in the ziplock bag. Shake and mix well and set aside
To make the Teriyaki
- Put the chicken into a bowl with the soy, sesame, ginger, maple syrup, garlic and lime and a pinch of salt. Set aside
To make the chickpea paste
- Put the drained chickpeas into the processor with the mayo and wasabi. Process till very smooth by adding a little lemon or lime.
- Heat a grill or frypan till hot. Add the asparagus and sear till just coloured and starting to soften.. set aside. Next add the chicken to the grill and cook for 6-8 minutes until cooked through
Assembly:
- Lay a teatowel on the kitchen bench. Lay Nori seaweed paper out. Spread with a thin layer of the chickpea paste, leaving a small portion at one end without. Lay a piece of chicken and a piece of asparagus in a line at one end adding carrot before rolling up tightly into a cigar shaped parcel. ( just like making Nori rolls with rice) .
- Dampen the end of the Nori with out paste and stick the Nori together. Now you have a big cigar like roll.
- These can be sliced in half to maake shorter rolls.
- Cover with a tea towel or refrigerate till needed
Feta, Corn and Tomato Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
- 375 gm Self Raising Flour 2 1/2 cups
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 200 ml milk 3/4 cup
- 1 Egg
- 125 ml oil 1/2 cup
- 400 gm can creamed corn
- 150 gm cheddar grated (1 cup)
- 100 gm Feta crumbled
- 5 Cherry Tomatoes 1/2 tomato per muffin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt fresh grated pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped Parsley
Instructions
- You will need large Texan Muffin papers, a muffin tin, and the oven set to 350 F/180 C
- Put the flour and sugar into a big bowl and stir.
- Add 1/2 the crumbled feta, the grated cheddar and parsley and stir.
- In another bowl mix the egg, oil, milk, creamed corn and seasonings.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and mix till only just mixed (there will be some unmixed bits).
- Spoon into muffin cups and crumble over the remaining feta adding a 1/2'd tomato to the top
- Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer.
Fort Knox Storage have 25 outlets in Queensland
Oh your poor friend!! Thank goodness she had you to keep her well fed! I can’t decide which looks more delicious out of the muffins and the nori – so yum! Thank you so much for linking up with our Fabulous Foodie Fridays link up! xx
I love a good savoury muffin!
If I was ever moving I want you to come help. I love a friend who thinks ahead and plans with food – love it. I hope your friend is doing well in Wales and that you are not missing her too much. Fingers crossed for her safe return in the future so you can catch up over some wine.
Oh, your poor friend. Having recent done an Australia-UK move in happy circumstances with lots of planning, I can only imagine the stress of having to do it like this. She’s lucky you were there to facilitate the food side of things at least, and these nori rolls look amazing.
Your poor friend! What a hectic crazy thing to have happened. How sweet of you to cook for her on your last day, and to use some of her leftover odds and ends in the process! These are such a fun take on sushi.
What a wonderful friend she has! x
If I have to move in a hurry, I’m calling YOU! Your food is better than anything I’ve ever had on moving day. 🙂
I hope it all works out for your friend, and that her dad recovers well Tania. You were certainly very creative in using up all the bits and pieces- I would never have thought to put chickpeas in sushi! xox
What a good friend you are. She would have loved your help and support. And you did such lovely cooking too. Love the look of your nori rolls xx
What a loving and supportive thing for you to do for your friend in the turmoil she was in. XO
What a great friend you are! and what you have made from the ‘mystery box’! Hope that your friend is doing OK.
What a good friend you are, love. I hope her dad is ok… xxx
Have made sushi rolls with cauliflower rice and also quinoa but never tried chickpea paste! Will have to give that one a go next time 🙂
Aside from a yummy looking recipe – you are a good friend to be there for her during this difficult time. I hope your friend’s dad recovers and life takes on a new sense of normalcy soon.