Chocolate Chia Pudding

Salmon is one food I try to have my family eat regularly. Unfortunately it is never as often as I would like. I've recently come across Chia seeds which have high levels of Omega 3 in them along with loads of other really good nutrients.
It's easy to add to breads, stir fries and salads as the seeds have little taste. The interesting thing with it is that when it gets wet it turns gelatinous (a bit like flax seeds).
I found lots of recipes like this one on the website sweetlyraw...a chocolate type pudding with all sorts of ingredients I don't have in my pantry. The basic premise is that you make a flavoured liquid and mix the Chai seeds in and they thicken it over about 20 minutes.
Tonight I improvised with great results!
It is like chocolate mousse in flavour but with texture a bit like a sago or tapioca pudding.
I'm usually craving chocolate in the evening but tonight I've had my chocolate hit.

The recipe isn't precise and I will do some experimentation with it since it went down really well with my family - they didn't realise that it was actually a pretty healthy dessert!
I'm keen to substitute the milk with coconut milk or almond milk and maybe try it with berries.
Watch this space for more Chia recipes.



Chocolate Chia Pudding
Melt about 80g of dark chocolate in about 3/4 cup of milk
Stir in 1/4 tsp of vanilla paste
Mix in 2 1/2 tbsp on Chia seeds

Mix well, then pour into individual dishes and allow to thicken on the bench for about an hour.

Chicken and Wild Rice - a freezer meal

Summer holidays are almost over. While I've been working for the last three weeks from home (with short days and lots of breaks) I start back full time at work in a matter of days.

Last year I was organised enough to have a few meals in the freezer ready for nights when cooking a meal was tricky due to other commitments. While I always prefer to cook from scratch with fresh ingredients, sometimes a home made frozen meal is better than the 'take away' or ready made alternatives. This year I plan to be a bit more strategic about getting meals into the freezer.
I've been hunting for ideas. Ideally something that can be made ahead, frozen and cooked in the slow cooker while I am at work. Unfortunately my working day is long and often meals cooked for well over 8 hours (even on low) come out a bit over cooked.

I've been pinning ideas on Pintrest and tonight tried one out. I made one for dinner and one for the freezer. Lots of the sites I have pinned talk about having a huge cooking session and making a week's (or more) worth of meals or more in one go. Unfortunately I just don't have the freezer space.

Tonight's trial was a bit of a risky one. I've never cooked a dish that has uncooked rice in it that cooks in one dish in the oven. I was a bit dubious about what rice to use as many of the sites I've been looking at are American and they seem to use 'pre cooked' everything in the dishes.

I used disposable foil dishes - not so good environmentally admittedly. I'll work on that one!

The dish came out well. As usual I increased the vegetable content and played with the recipe. It will never be my favourite meal but it was super quick to prepare a meal for tonight and one for the freezer.

Chicken and Wild Rice 
1 box wild rice with seasoning packet (4.3 oz) (I used a cup of uncooked wild rice - not partially cooked)
1 can cream of mushroom soup 
1 can cream of chicken soup 
1 can water 
1 small can mushrooms, drained (I used uncooked mushrooms - about 2 cups chopped)
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, uncooked (I used thighs with the bone in)
1 cup slivered almonds 
I cup chopped courgette
1 chopped capsicum
2 spring onions chopped

1. Mix together rice with seasoning packet, both cans of soup, and water.  Stir in mushrooms (and other vegetables)
2. Pour in to 8X8 freezer dish, I use the foil pans.  Top with 6 chicken pieces and sprinkle with slivered almonds. 
3. Double wrap in heavy duty foil, label and freeze. 
Cooking Instruction: Thaw and bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour until chicken juices run clear and rice is tender. 
I like to serve this dish with a side of broccoli and fruit.

Strawberry Sorbet

We don't often get the opportunity to visit the Sandringham Fruit and Veggie Market, but did a couple of weeks ago. Strawberries were selling cheap so we bought lots. Once home we cleaned and hulled them, then popped them in the freezer for making into sorbet later.
I found a recipe but just used it as a guide - see below.
My first attempt at making sugar syrup was foiled by a little person who found it in the fridge and 'thought it was water' and drunk it.

I used the ice cream maker after blending the mixture but it would be just as good put in the freezer after blending the mixture if you didn't need it straight away.
The result was really nice. A great substitute to ice cream since it is not full of dairy and sugar.
Not so good in a cone though.
This recipe could be used with any berries and the sugar wasn't really necessary.

Strawberry Sorbet
2-3 cups of frozen strawberries
Sugar syrup 1:1 sugar dissolved in water - approx 3/4 cup
2-3 tablespoons of lime juice

Place all ingredients in blender and blend well.
Place in ice cream maker (or just in freezer until sufficiently solid).
Enjoy.

Strawberry Sorbet Recipe:

1/3 cup (80 ml) water

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated whitesugar

2 1/2 cups or 1 pound (454 grams) fresh or frozen unsweetenedstrawberries

1 tablespoonlemonjuice

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or otherliqueur(optional)

Note:  If you taste the sorbet after freezing and find the amount of sugar is not right, adjust the level of sugar by adding a little sugar syrup (too little sugar in sorbet) or water (too much sugar in sorbet) and then refreeze the sorbet.  The sorbet is not affected by thawing and refreezing.

Pesto and Summer Vegetable Chicken

I found a recipe that looked simple and easy and had cherry tomatoes in it. Knowing we would probably have lots from our garden this summer I pinned it.

I made it last night but of course had to modify things slightly...well actually quite a bit.
After a quick read it looked like the first step was almost to make pesto. Since I have already started making and freezing pesto this year it was easy to just use some that was pre-made.

I also added a few vegetables - my mission for my families eating is always to add more veges to anything!

Pesto and Summer Vegetable Chicken

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used about 8 thighs with the bone in)

4 – 5 garlic cloves  (While there was already garlic in the pesto I added another 4...just because I love garlic)

1 cup fresh basil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 package of cherry or grape tomatoes

1/2 red onion sliced (I used a full red onion)

I also added a red capsicum and  a diced zucchini

 Preparation:

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Brown the chicken breasts in a pan. In a blender place the garlic, basil, olive oil, vinegar, water and pulse until pureed. (I used ready made pesto, then added the water and balsamic)

 Place the browned chicken breasts in a pyrex and cover with the basil, garlic mixture. Top with mushrooms, tomatoes and onion and bake for about 40 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve with brown rice and a salad.

Courgette Chocolate Cake

I'm hoping I am about to have a great crop of courgettes in my garden and since none of my family are too keen on eating them as a vegetable I need to find some ways to use them in disguise.
I had a very interested little helper who grated the courgettes for me...perhaps not as finely as I would have liked but I guess she was already in the know about the unusual ingredient in a cake.

The cake was nice. Not a traditional rich chocolate cake, it was really light and had a hint of spice.
I tried a bit as a muffin which worked well. So potentially this could be a good lunch box filler.

The icing was gorgeous. Very rich and chocolatey.

Chocolate courgette cake recipe

Recipe type: Cakes

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  1 hour

Total time:  1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 350g self-raising flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 175ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 375g golden caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 500ml grated courgettes (measure by volume in a measuring jug, but it’s about 2 medium courgettes; if using 1 overgrown one, peel first and take out seeds)
• 140g toasted hazelnuts , roughly chopped (I left these out)
• FOR THE ICING
• 200g dark chocolate , chopped
• 100ml double cream

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, mixed spice and 1 tsp salt. In another bowl, combine the olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla essence and grated courgette. Mix the dry and wet mixture until just combined, then fold in the toasted hazelnuts. Line a 24cm cake tin with greaseproof paper, then pour in your mixture. Bake for about 40-50 mins, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
2. To make the icing, place the chocolate in a bowl and bring cream to the boil in a saucepan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until completely smooth and melted. Leave the icing to cool slightly and thicken, then spread it over the cake so it’s covered and the icing starts to drip down the sides. Serve with a cup of tea or enjoy as a pud with a spoonful of something creamy.

Cheesy Cracker Bites - Healthy Lunch Box Options!

Isabella turned 5 mid way through December and had less than a week at school in 2012. She starts again with me in early February.
For most of her 4 years in child care Isabella's food has been provided. When I first went back to work I provided all her food while she was with a "Porse Carer" (in home child care) but as she got older she had food provided by her carers.

Her first carer was a fabulous woman called Minakshi and her family. There Isabella developed an insatiable appetite for Indian Roti.

Most recently at Kindy her food was provided. While I'm not totally convinced about the nutritional value of every thing she ate (she told me recently that she loved tinned fruit salad with condensed milk that they had a Kindy), at least I knew she was eating and that I didn't have to 'magic up' a lunch and snacks each day for her.
So to cut a very long explanation short I am back to preparing snacks and lunch for her each week day for school.
I've managed to find a lunch box system that doesn't need glad wrap or paper which really pleases my 'green' side. It has lots of little compartments and containers that fit together and best of all it came from the Supermarket. We found the original website in Australia and had a few 'extras' sent to my Brother and sister in law in Sydney so we are now all set to go.

What is going to be a challenge is finding a balance between healthy balanced snacks and lunches and quick and easy things to put together.
On my suggestion her Kindy started getting the children who were close to turning 5 to make their own sandwiches some days then eating them for lunch. A great start for Isabella and I as she is now very happy with simple sandwiches...I just have to try to wean her away from white bread.

I've started hunting for ideas and 'pinning' them on Pintrest and today made the first one.
The cheesy crackers had a bit more sugar than I would have liked but I figure that if I can get Bella eating them and liking them I can reduce the sugar next time.
I really liked that these had LSA - Linseed, Sesame and Almond in them as I try to include LSA in baking when I can.
They are made a bit like biscotti - a bit time consuming but really easy.
My plan is to freeze them and put a couple in her lunch box frozen in the morning. That way they should be fine by morning tea or lunchtime.

The end result was great. I'm tempted to put them aside for adult snacks with cheeses and dips!
I'll make a double batch next time. the single batch made about 50 small cracker sized snacks.

Hopefully there will be more healthy lunchbox ideas to come.

Mini Cheese Crackers

1 Cup wholemeal pl flour

3/4 cup white pl flour

1/2 teasp baking powder

2 large eggs

1/4 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 Tblsp LSA mix

1 egg white lightly beaten

Sift the flours and baking powder into a bowl. Beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale and doubled in bulk....use electric beaters!!

Using a large metal spoon fold in flours, cheeses and LSA mix. Do not overmix.

Knead gently on a lightly floured surface to bring dough together..add extra water if required.

Divide the mix into thirds and roll into 3 logs. Place logs onto greased trays and brush with egg white.

Bake in moderate oven(180 degrees) for 20 mins, turn over and bake for another 10 minutes or until firm and light brown. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Reduce oven to 160 degrees.

Slice each log very thinly into slices. Place the slices back onto lined trays in a single layer and cook for further 20 mins or until crisp and dry.

Pickled Fennel With Orange

I had great success with growing fennel this year. I used a lot in a simple fennel salad but also wanted to try pickling some after a very memorable meal that had pickled fennel.
I found a few recipes but really liked the look of this one because of the addition of orange.

Pickled Fennel with Orange
makes 1 500ml Jar.

Ingredients:
4 Medium Sized Bulbs of fennel, very thinly sliced (a mandoline is useful here).

1 Tsp Fine Sea Salt.

1 Orange for zest cut into thin strips.

6 Tbsp white wine vinegar.

6 Tbsp orange juice.

2 Tbsp sugar.

4 Whole black peppercorns, cracked.
A Couple Sprigs of Fennel Tops (optional).

What to Do:

Toss the sliced fennel in a shallow bowl with the salt. Let them stand for one hour.

Meanwhile, sterilize your jar(s), lid(s), and ring(s). You can do this in a water bath canner if you have one or if you don't just use a very deep wide stock pot with one of those old fashioned metal steamers laid out in the bottom. This will keep the jars off the bottom of the pot so they don't break. Fill the pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Using a pair of tongs with rubber bands wrapped around the ends to prevent slippage, carefully place the jars, lids and rings in the water in batches so they fit comfortably with 1 to 2" of water above the jars and boil/sterilize for about 15 minutes. Carefully lift jars, lids and rings out of the water and set aside on a clean, dry surface. Sterilized!

If any brine exists in the bowl after this time, drain and toss the slices with the orange zest. Pack them into a sterilized pint jar, placing a fennel sprig or two against the side of the jar is using.

In a saucepan, heat the vinegar, orange juice, sugar and peppercorns over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot liquid over the fennel, leaving 3/4" of head space at the top of the jar. 

Secure rims and lids on the jars and place back in the boiling water to ensure seal for 15 minutes. Carefully remove from the water and allow to set and cool to room temperature. You may hear a "ping" noise coming from the jars - this is an excellent sign. Once cool, check to make sure the rings have in fact sealed and refrigerate any that don't.

Those that are sealed can be stored for many weeks while any open jars should be used within a week or two.

Marinated Seafood, Avocado and Coconut Cream Salad

This recipe is one of my mothers that I have modified a bit. There are all sorts of variations to this dish from different cultures. If you use raw fish, it is essentially 'cooked' in the lime juice.
It is pretty quick to prepare and the bonus is that the majority of the preparation occurs in advance of serving it.
It is divine really cold on a hot day. It's great marinated for 30 minutes but even better overnight.
It could be served in avocado halves but I've just served it in individual bowls here.
I never stick to the exact recipe so it tastes a bit different every time but is always yummy!



Seafood, Avocado and Coconut Cream Salad 

Ingredients
2 firm avocados diced
2 cans coconut milk
1 large red red onion thinly sliced
2 red capsicum chopped
2 tomatoes (deseeded) chopped
2-4 chillies
1 tbsp honey
juice 2 limes (or more)
500g cold seafood - ideally uncooked (prawns, mussels, surimi/crab, raw white fish thinly sliced or salmon)
1/4 cup chopped coriander.

Method
Whisk together coconut milk, onions, chillies, capsicum, honey, lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
Fold in seafood, cover and marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes
10 minutes before serving fold in avocados and coriander.

Coleslaw With An Asian Twist

This recipe was promoted as 'Crack Slaw' because it is so addictive. It was pretty good and worth a try for a coleslaw with a difference.
I'd also consider adding coriander to this dish next time.
I bought flat udon noodles, the original recipe used what I would call '2 Minute Instant Noodles' - they might be worth a try next time. I found the noodles a bit too hard until the dressing softened them.
This was great the next day...and the next day. The flavour seemed to change as the days passed.

Crack Slaw (Asian Cole Slaw)
1 bag cole slaw mix (14oz, or just shy of 400 grams of shredded cabbage and carrots, mixed)
5 scallions, sliced (spring onions)
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 cup slivered almonds
1 package ramen noodles (minus the flavor packs)

dressing:
1/2 cup veg oil
1/4 cup sugar.. i would not add all of that at once.. try half then add to taste.. when it’s too sweet it’s not as crack-like
2 tablespoons soy sauce

throw the sesame, almonds, crunched up ramen noodles and into a pan with butter.. cook till golden
let cool… add mixture and scallions to coleslaw .

Butterflied Greek Chicken

Not the best picture...but the taste was great

I found this today after hunting for a simple recipe for a whole chicken. The recipe did say to marinate overnight but my timeframe didn't allow this.
The smell of the dish cooking was amazing. John could smell the garlic from down the street when he arrived home.

Isabella (5 years) isn't a huge meat eater but requested a second serving of this dish.

It is a make again for me for sure. I would probably cook it with chicken pieces for ease of serving and would follow the recipe and marinate the chicken overnight.
I'd possibly cook it on the BBQ too.







Butterflied Greek Chicken

Ingredients:

For the Greek marinade:

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I used some oranges to make up the 1/2 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup olive oil
•  
• 1 chicken, 3 to 4 lb., neck and giblets removed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

To make the Greek marinade, in a bowl, stir together the lemon juice, garlic, parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme and basil, then whisk in the olive oil. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

Place the chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board. Using kitchen shears or a large knife, cut along one side of the backbone from the tail to the neck. Pull open the bird, then cut down the other side of the backbone to free it. (Discard the backbone or save it for stock.) Turn the chicken, breast side up, and open it as flat as possible, like a book. Press down firmly on the breast to break the breastbone—you will hear popping noises—and flatten the bird.

Season the chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a large sealable plastic bag in which it lies flat and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag, squish the marinade around the chicken and refrigerate the bag flat for at least 24 hours, or 48 hours is better. Turn the bag over several times while the chicken is marinating.

About 30 minutes before you are ready to begin grilling, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Discard the marinade and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect grilling over medium heat; the temperature inside the grill should be 350º to 375ºF. If using charcoal, bank the lit coals on one side of the grill bed and place a drip pan in the area without coals. If using gas, preheat the burners, then turn off 1 or more of the burners to create a cooler zone. Brush and oil the grill grate.

Place the chicken, skin side down, over the direct-heat area of the grill and cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, away from bone registers, 170ºF, or the juices run clear when a thigh joint is pierced with a knife tip, about 15 minutes more. If the chicken begins to burn, move it to the indirect-heat area of the grill and add a few minutes more to the cooking time.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into serving pieces and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6. 

Watermelon Martinis

Summer means cocktails made with summer fruit. I came across this recipe when I had a friend coming for dinner and just knew it was the right drink for the night.

The first time I made it I stuck pretty closely tot he recipe. The second time (after drinking the first pitcher) my measurements were a little less exact...but it still tasted great.
I also made a 'children's version' using the watermelon puree and lemonade which was quickly consumed by the little person.

I spent quite a lot of time prior to out dinner cutting and de-seeding the watermelon - a laborious but necessary job.
We don't have a cocktail blender so the watermelon was pureed in our food processor. It worked ok but I think it would be better in a decent blender. Maybe that is my next kitchen purchase?

Watermelon Martinis

• 1
  

ingredients

• 5
  cups watermelon cubes (rind and seeds removed)
• 3/4
  cup lemon vodka
• 6
  tablespoons lime juice
• 3
  tablespoons Cointreau or triple sec
• 3
  tablespoons sugar

directions

1.Place watermelon in blender. Cover; blend until smooth. Pour puree into a pitcher and keep very cold, even a little frozen to make it icy.

2.For two martinis, add one cup of watermelon puree, 1/4 cup of lemon vodka, two tablespoons of lime juice, one tablespoon each of Cointreau and sugar to the blender with three to six ice cubes. Cover; blend until slushy. Makes 6 large martinis.

Diane's Fruit Cake

This cake has been a bit of a nightmare in the making but it all turned out ok in the end.
I am not a huge fan of fruit cake. When I was asked to make a fruit cake for my husband's parents 50th wedding anniversary celebrations (which took place months ago now), I agreed but was a bit concerned.
I went to a lovely friend (Diane) who is a fabulous baker and cook for a recipe. 
My husbands advice (from he who rarely cooks and never bakes) was to do a trial. I made a single recipe which turned out dry and small in the tin I had. A very expensive trial given how much fruit is in this cake. The trial cake is now receiving regular doses of brandy and is refrigerated for later use.
I doubled the recipe and baked the cake for significantly less time than the recipe says, judging if it was ready by inserting a fork in after 3 hours and from then on half hourly.

The cake was a success and I received lots of positive comments. From my perspective it was moist and seemed ok.

I can't take credit for the icing - this job was passed on to an aunty of John's.

I'm not sure when I will be making a fruit cake again, but this would be the recipe I'll use when I do.

INGREDIENTS

500g (3 & 1/4 cups) sultanas
500g (3 & 1/4 cups) currants
250g (1 & 1/2 cups) chopped raisins
125g (2/3 up) glace cherries, halved
1/3 cup mixed peel
185g (1 & 1/2 cups) blanched almonds, halved
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup brandy
500g butter
500g (2 cups) brown sugar, firmly packed
8 eggs
3 cups plain flour
1 cup self-raising flour
METHOD

Combine fruit, almonds, marmalade, rinds, juice and brandy in a large bowl; mix well. Cover bowl, stand mixture for up to a week.

Cream butter with sugar in large bowl with electric mixer only until ingredients are combined. Beat in eggs one at a time, beat only until combined between each addition. Add creamed mixture to fruit mixture, mix well; mix in sifted flours in 2 lots.

Spread mixture evenly into deep 25cm square or deep 28cm round prepared cake pan. Bake at 150°C for about 5 hours.

I've found a couple of cucumber recipes on Pintrest that I liked the look of. They were pretty simple but had enough 'interest' to make them more appetising than a plate of sliced cucumber.
I especially liked the 'asian' influence in this one where the cucumber is almost pickled.
Once again my trusty mandoline made this really quick to prepare.
I let the cucumber for about an hour to drain the liquid out...it just kept coming.
I'll make this one again. It looked really good with the black and white sesame seeds on it.

Japanese Cucumber Salad

Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer

• 4 Kirby cucumbers or 2 large cucumbers
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup white rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon white or black sesame seeds, or a mixture of both

1. Cut the cucumbers into paper-thin slices. In a large bowl, toss the cucumber slices with the salt (this draws out excess water). Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Drain the cucumber slices in a colander and gently squeeze them with your hands to squeeze out excess water. Return the slices to the large bowl and toss with the rice vinegar mixture. Transfer the cucumber to a serving dish. Serve at room temperature 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

I'm always on the look out for quinoa recipes - healthy, good minerals, fibre etc. Often the recipes I find are just variations on those I already have.
I liked the look of this one because it had olives in it...I love olives.
I'm quite pleased with the result although it was a bit wet with dressing. I;d probably reduce the quantity next time.




Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Bring to a boil over low heat:

1 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water (I use 2 cups of water (or chicken stock)  to 1 cup of quinoa)

Cover and simmer slowly for 15 to 20 minutes until the grains are cooked but still a little firm to the bite.

Remove from heat and add:

2 diced tomatoes
1 cup diced bell peppers
1 cup diced cucumber
1 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped green onion (spring onion - I used 2-3)

Toss everything together with the Lemon Oregano Dressing.

Lemon Oregano DressingWhisk together well:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp honey
juice and finely minced zest of one lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tbsp dried oregano)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper