TRAVEL TUESDAY - RAGLAN, NEW ZEALAND

View through the flax plants

Seagull on a stump

Freshest fish in town - right on the wharf - this is where we had lunch

Boat beside the wharf

Lunch

Lunch being prepared!

Fish and Chips at Raglan Fish - some of THE best I have ever tasted

Max and a starfish

OVEN FRIED FISH STICKS WITH TARTAR SAUCE

We love the classic "kiwi takeaways" Fish and Chips, wrapped in newspaper and most delicious when eaten right by the beach.
The kids especially, ordered them every chance they had while we were on vacation in New Zealand, so I thought I would try a home made version, served with oven baked sweet potato and kumara fries. Even though we are miles and miles from the beach here in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Oven Fried Fish Sticks still tasted wonderful.

OVEN FRIED FISH STICKS WITH TARTAR SAUCE

FISH STICKS
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons water
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 pounds cod fillets
salt to taste
TARTAR SAUCE
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped dill pickles
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Heat oven to 375F.
To prepare fish sticks, place flour in a shallow dish or bowl. Place bread crumbs in a second shallow bowl. Combine water and egg in a third shallow dish, stirring with a whisk.
Cut fish into strips. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Dip fish in egg mixture and dredge in bread crumbs. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Coat fish with cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 30 minutes or until crisp (I turned the grill on at the end of cooking time for about 2 minutes).
To prepare tartar sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Serve tartar sauce with fish.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from USA Weekend, November 2013
www.usaweekend.com/section/FOOD04/Recipe-Archive‎

TRAVEL TUESDAY - AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

I always love arriving back in New Zealand - swooping down over the beautiful blue ocean, hearing the kiwi accent, and seeing the familiar products and packaging of the candy in the airport kiosk.
After clearing immigration and gathering our bags, we made our way through customs, out into the beautiful, fresh morning, picked up our rental car and navigated to downtown Auckland and the passport office.
I was thrilled when I discovered I would be able to renew my New Zealand passport - I had let it expire, with life being busy, the belief that NZ wasn't recognizing dual citizenship, and being able to travel on my American passport, meant I hadn't paid it much attention. But, reluctant to renounce my New Zealand citizenship permanently, I called to see about my options before leaving America, and consequently we found ourselves searching for 99 Albert St and the official New Zealand passport renewal forms.
Eager to have our first taste of "kiwi tucker", we walked down to the Viaduct Harbour for lunch, settling on Sierra, as the kids were hungry and grumpy and had no patience for me inspecting each and every item on each and every menu to choose the absolute best place to dine. After our first glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and taste of Fish and Chips, we did the bare minimum of sightseeing - Sky City. It was an incredible panoramic view of Auckland, the sky walkers, sky jumpers and straight down through the glass in the floor, to the street below.
Then it was time to make the 1 1/2 hour drive to visit family.

We also enjoyed a brief taste of Auckland on our way out of the country, two weeks later.  Safran, a Spanish and Mediterranean restaurant, located in the Newmarket area, offered a lovely selection of Tapas, a final glass of delicious New Zealand Pinot Noir, and a small park out front, where the kids ran and played before boarding the long flight home. It was difficult to choose a favorite from our tapas selection, the Pan Fried Mussels, Chilli Prawns, Scotch Fillet, Meatballs, Quabapa (beef sausages), Paprika Chicken, or Beetroot and Goat Cheese Salad - each was delicious.

Chili Prawns at Safran 

LAMB WITH PASTA

Lamb was a staple in our diet growing up in New Zealand, but it can be hard to come by on a regular basis in the supermarkets here in Arkansas. So when I see it at the store, I always pick up a pack and keep it in the freezer until I need it. I was thrilled to come across this ground lamb, and then a delicious recipe to use it in.

LAMB WITH PASTA

salt and pepper
1 pound of pasta of your choice
1 pound of ground lamb
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 serrano chile, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup tomato paste
3/4 to 1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup red wine
parsley and grated cheese for serving

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
While the pasta is cooking, pat the lamb dry with paper towels. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook, brewing up the meat, until browned, season with salt and pepper. Stir in the carrot, shallot, garlic, rosemary, oregano, thyme and orange zest. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then the chicken stock and wine. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve sauce over the pasta, with a sprinkle of parsley and cheese.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray, November 2011
www.rachaelray.com/‎