Freshly Blogged Competition - First entry

I'm taking part in the PnP Freshly Blogged competition! 

40 bloggers from all over SA have been selected to take part in a weekly cooking competition, and every week a new challenge is set with a mystery basket of ingredients. The idea is to come up with creative recipes and beautiful photographs. As the weeks go on, bloggers entries are judged by a panel and every week 4 bloggers get eliminated, eventually culminating in a cook-off.

Go check out all the recipes here: freshlyblogged.co.za

or just click here to vote: http://freshlyblogged.co.za/recipe/thai-veggie-delight-three-ways/

Don't forget to vote for my recipe (Thai Veggie Delight - 3 Ways, under Andanté Wiehahn), you stand to win weekly prizes :)

Here is my entry for the first challenge: 

A selection of Thai flavoured vegetarian dishes that can be served as a platter main, or individual starters. 

Thai Veggie Delight – 3 Ways

Phyllo cups, Noodle nests & Samoosas

Serves 4

You will need

2 packets (500g each) Findus Wok Thai vegetables

1 roll (500g) PnP phyllo pastry (defrosted in the fridge overnight)

PnP cook additions crushed garlic, ginger and dhania paste

PnP 2-minute noodles (any flavour)

1 orange (zested & juiced)

1 pineapple

2 Red chillies, finely chopped (seeds in for a hotter version)

Butter

Cooking Oil

Olive oil

Flour

2 Eggs

Brown sugar

Salt & pepper

Black sesame seeds for garnish

How to make it

The veggies:

Heat a tablespoon of cooking oil in a wok and fry 1 tablespoon chopped chilli and the garlic, ginger & dhania paste for 1 minute.

Add the frozen veggies to the hot wok bit by bit.

Fry until the veggies are soft but still crispy.

Remove from wok and set aside.

The noodle nest:

Remove noodles from the packaging and discard the flavour sachet.

Pour boiling water over the noodles (covering them) and microwave for 1 minute.

Drain the noodles well and spread them out on wax paper.

Leave them to dry for about 30 minutes.

Heat 3 cups of cooking oil in a small deep pot.

Deep fry the noodles in the hot oil in batches until they become crispy.

Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Fry 2 eggs into an omelette and cut into strips, mix with 3 cups of the veggies.

Layer the re-heated veggies on top of the crispy veggies just before serving.

The phyllo cups:

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave.

Remove 2 sheets from the roll and store the rest in the plastic sheet covered with a damp towel.

Cut the sheet (double layer) into quarters.

Paint the back and front of each phyllo quarter with the melted butter.

Gently place each quarter into a hole in a large muffin tray, forming a cup.

Bake until golden brown and crispy – about 10 minutes.

Set aside.

Make 6 – 8 of these.

Fill the cups with re-heated veggies just before serving.

The dipping sauce:

Heat a griddle pan until it’s scorching hot and fry 4 – 5 thick pineapple slices until burnt griddle marks appear.

Set aside. Once cool, cut into small (5mmx5mm) pieces.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan and fry the orange zest and 1/2 tablespoon chilli for 2 minutes until fragrant.

Sift a tiny bit of flour into the butter mix and stir vigorously until it starts to thicken.

Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar, the lemon juice and enough water until it reaches a consistency of a dipping sauce.

Add the grilled pineapple pieces.

Taste and season with more sugar, salt or chilli to taste.

Serve at room temperature.

The samoosas:

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C.

Take 2 cups of the cooked Findus veggies and chop finely with a mezzaluna or food processor.

Taste and season with more of the ginger, garlic & dhania paste and salt if needed.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave.

Remove one sheet of phyllo pastry from the roll and with a pizza cutter, cut the sheet into 3 long equal strips. Brush all three strips with butter.

Spoon a heaped tablespoon of the veggie mix onto the left bottom corner of each strip (2cm from the edges).

Fold over the right corner to cover the filling.

Fold again along the upper crease of the triangle, and keep folding this way till you have used all the pastry.

Brush with some more butter to close the pastry and trim the edges if necessary.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for about 20 minutes until golden and crispy.

Serve with the dipping sauce.

Phyllo cups (compiling):

Re-heat the cooked Findus veggies and fill the phyllo cups with the mix,

Garnish with black sesame seeds.

Noodle nests (compiling):

Re-heat the cooked Findus veggies and gently place a serving on top of the crispy fried noodles,

Garnish with black sesame seeds.