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It’s hot in Brisbane but it’s Coolangatta – summer salads for celebrations
It’s so hot here – unreasonably hot for November, and as my thoughts turn towards upcoming end-of-year and Christmas celebrations, I’ve gathered a collection of my salad recipes for inspiration and to help me to keep cool in the kitchen. There’s something here for all tastes, and each one has a little twist to lift it above the usual fare. I hope there’s some inspiration here for you too. And if you are wondering about the title of this post – It’s hot in Brisbane, but it’s Coolangatta – it is the title of a real song, popular in the 1950s. You can read about it, see the fabulously kitsch sheet music and listen to the original recording here. Cranberry and wild rice salad Potato and pea salad with hazelnut dressing Carrot salad with coriander, chili and sesame Rocket salad with apple and parmesan Nectarines, prosciutto, mozzarella and mint Brie and rocket salad with pomegranate dressing Maple roasted pumpkin with farro Tomato and bocconcini salad with a beautiful basil dressing Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Spicy roasted pumpkin
Now in my part of the world it is hot, hot, hot, and very steamy. It is not the weather for roast dinners, and snuggling beside a fireplace, or eating soup and thick crusty bread. But as I am a fanatical lover of pumpkin, this season is where salads with warm roasted pumpkin come into their own. I love pairing pumpkin with peppery rocket, Persian feta and pistachios, or with cous cous, spinach and currants, or with segmented oranges, cranberries and romaine lettuce. This is an excellent recipe to give a spicy edge to your roasted pumpkin, and is oh so quick and easy to pop into the oven while you cool off in the pool. Serves 4 – 6 depending on the oomph of your salad and the appetite of those partaking 1 kg Kent pumpkin 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, whole 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seat salt and black pepper Preheat oven to 180 C. Slice the pumpkin into medium sized wedges, leaving the skin on, but scraping out the seeds and membrane. Place a sheet of silicon paper onto a baking tray and arrange the pumpkin in a single layer on the tray. Drizzle over the olive oil and then evenly scatter over the spices, turning once to cover both sides. Season well with the salt and pepper and roast for 35 – 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and eat hot, or warm in a robust salad. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Spiced salmon with green goddess dressing
Perfect for a simple Sunday lunch, this salad is rich with salmon and creamy avocado, balanced with touches of caramel and spice, and the clean bite of radishes. The recipe is based on one that I saw in the October 2014 issue of Delicious magazine. It’s one of my favourite food magazines, because the recipes are almost always easily achievable for the home cook and make much of seasonal ingredients that are available locally. Here in Brisbane we can almost always get beautiful avocados, which feature in the wonderfully named green goddess dressing that is at the heart of the dish. The most accepted theory regarding the origins of this dressing points to the Palace Hotel in San Francisco in 1923, when the hotel’s executive chef wanted to create something to pay tribute to actor George Arliss and his hit play, The Green Goddess. I have eliminated the anchovies, which are fish non grata at our place, and added a little more salt to compensate. Serve this salad with some fresh bread and a bright Sauvignon blanc for a gorgeous lunch with good friends. Serves 4 2 avocados 125 ml buttermilk juice of 2 lemons 1 garlic clove 1 long green chilli, de-seeded sea salt and black pepper 2 tablespoons cumin seeds 2 tablespoons ground coriander 1 tablespoon ground paprika 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar 4 salmon fillets (about 150 g each) 60 ml olive oil 4 baby cos lettuce 2 radishes, very thinly sliced In a food processor blend together the avocado, buttermilk, juice of 1 lemon, garlic and chilli, until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a pestle and mortar pound together the cumin, coriander, paprika and brown sugar until well blended. Heat a grill until very hot. Place the salmon on a tray lined with foil. Brush the salmon with a little of the olive oil and then rub the spice mixture all over. Place under the grill and cook for 5 minutes, until the top is a dark caramel colour and the fish just cooked through. Cover loosely with more foil and rest for 5 minutes. To serve, place a good spoonful of the goddess dressing on the base of 4 plates and smear artistically in the manner of a professional chef. Add the lettuce leaves. Break up the salmon into pieces and place on the plate before adding a few pieces of radish. Whisk together the remaining olive oil and the juice of the other lemon and drizzle over the salad.
Tomato, eggplant and ricotta salad
I made this super quick salad to use some of the fresh ricotta I have been making for the last couple of weeks. Along with a green salad, grilled chicken, and crusty bread it made a delicious dinner on a weekday evening. It was so pleasurable to spread the ricotta on the bread, add a slice of eggplant and a few tomatoes squashed onto the top, and enjoy the textures and flavours in my mouth. Roasting tomatoes whole for a short while releases their sweetness and makes then absolutely delightful to eat – squishy and juicy and warm. This salad will serve 4 – 6 as a side, or 2 hungry vegetarians for lunch. Serves 4-6 1 medium eggplant, sliced 700g mixed small tomatoes, as many varieties as you can find. a handful of Italian parsley a few sprigs of fresh thyme Olive oil 250 g fresh ricotta cheese Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper Preheat oven to 180 C. Place the eggplant slices on a baking tray lined with silicon paper, brush with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Place the tomatoes on another baking tray and drizzle over about 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper and add the thyme sprigs. Bake the eggplant and tomatoes for 15 – 20 minutes, until the eggplant is soft and golden, and the tomatoes soft, but still whole. Some of the smaller tomatoes may have split skins, but that’s fine – their escaped juice will be added to the salad. Place the eggplant slices on the bottom of a serving platter and then tumble over the tomatoes, drizzling them with any of the sweet juices and olive oil in the pan. Sprinkle with the roughly chopped parsley and place the ricotta on one side of the plate with a knife to hand for people to serve themselves. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Welsh cakes, and why my name is not Myfanwy
picau ar y maen My mother’s heritage was Welsh and she and my father were both talented amateur singers who were brought up in Ipswich, in Queensland, a town with a proud heritage of coal mining, Welsh immigration and eisteddfodau. As a child she went to a Welsh speaking church and one of my favourite memories is attending the centenary celebrations of that little church as a teenager and having numerous white-haired elderly ladies calling her “little Greta Griffiths” in their sing-song accents. When I was born my parents considered naming me Myfanwy, but chose the very English Margaret instead, citing spelling difficulties as the reason. All my adult life I have nursed a secret desire for a more interesting name and wished they had called me Myfanwy instead, despite my sister Bronwyn’s assertion that no one can spell and many have difficulty pronouncing her very Welsh name. I comfort her by bringing up the Welsh names she could have been called – including one of my mother’s friends, who was named Blodwyn. I love to hear Welsh spoken as it is ancient and beautiful and melodic and mysterious; and as Jan Morris states, in her book Wales: The First Place “The language itself, whether you speak it or not, whether you love it or hate it, is like some bewitchment or seduction from the past, drifting across the country down the centuries, subtly affecting the nations sensibilities even when its meaning is forgotten.” We never ate Welsh cakes when I was growing up, but one of my closest friends from university is also Welsh, and Geraldine introduced me to this unique afternoon tea time treat, traditional, and for me, a wonderful link to my family heritage, along with competing in the Queensland eisteddfod and listening to Bryn Terfel with my father – even if my name is not Myfanwy. Serve Welsh cakes dusted with caster sugar, or spread with a little butter. Hot, warm or cold they are very delicious, especially with a cup of tea. Makes about 24 225 g plain flour 70 g caster sugar, with a little more for dusting (optional) 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 100 g chilled butter, cut into cubes 50 g currants 1 egg a little milk, if needed In a food processor whiz together the flour, sugar, butter, spice and baking powder until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. You can also do this by hand, rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients as you would when making scones. Tip out into a medium sized bow and add the egg and currants. Knead lightly until the dough comes together and is similar in texture to a pastry dough. add a tiny splash of milk if it is too dry. Dust a work surface with a little flour and roll out the dough until it is about 15 mm thick. Use a round plain or fluted cutter to cut out the cakes. Cook on a griddle or thick based frying pan over medium heat, until golden brown, turning once. Don’t have the heat too high or else you will have gooey insides to your Welsh cakes. A bit like a scone, and a bit like a biscuit, Welsh cakes have a very distinctive, slightly crumbly and not very moist texture and they are best eaten within a couple of days.
Roasted capsicum soup with spiced oil
It is time for soup in our part of the world and this roasted capsicum soup with spiced oil is a wonderful change from the usual pumpkin or potato and leek soup that are favourites in our family. The capsicums are roasted and then gently simmered with some tomatoes, garlic and vegetable stock. Roasting capsicums makes them incredibly delicious. It’s a messy job peeling off the skins once they have been roasted, but it is not at all difficult and the result is so good it makes sticky fingers completely worthwhile. My sister taught me the method of tempering a little olive oil with chilli and mustard seeds as a way for everyone to add their preferred amount of heat to a dish. In this soup it adds fantastic pops of spiciness along with the slight sweetness of the capsicums in every mouthful. It looks so vibrant and fresh and tastes wonderful. Serve it with thick, crusty bread for a simple Sunday night supper or Saturday lunch. Serves 4 4 large, red capsicums (bell peppers)1 clove of garlic1 440g tin of whole, peeled tomatoes1 1/2 cups vegetable stockSea salt Spiced oil:2 tablesoons best quality olive oil2 teaspoons mustard seeds1 heaped teasoon dried chilli flakes Preheat oven to 180 C. Put the capsicums on an oven tray and roast for about 40 minutes until the skins are beginning to blacken. Take them out of the oven and as soon as they are cool enough to touch without burning your fingers peel off the skins. They should slip off very easily. Carefully remove the seeds and then chop up the capsicums and place in a medium saucepan. Add the tomatoes, finely chopped garlic and the vegetable stock and break up the tomatoes with a spoon. Simmer for about 15 minutes and then, using a stick blender, or in a food processer, whizz until fairly smooth. Season with a little sea salt and serve with the spiced oil on the side for everyone to add according to their taste.. To make the spiced oil, warm the olive oil with the mustard seeds in a small pan until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add the chilli flakes and a good grind of black pepper and sea salt. Cook for a couple of minutes. Take off the heat and serve warm with the soup. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Baby capsicums stuffed with feta and herbs
Sometimes I need to sieze the moment and make something delicious just because I see an item at the fruit and vegetable shop that screams, “Buy me!”. These baby capsicums did just that. I scraped out the core and the seeds, stuffed them with marinated feta and heaps of herbs and roasted them for about 15 minutes in a hot oven. We ate them with chewy sourdough for lunch and they were really good. They’d be excellent as part of a tapas selection, or passed around before dinner with a glass of reisling. The quanitities in the recipe are pretty flexible, so experiment with what you have on hand. Pine nuts would be a good addition as would a little garlic, some lemon zest or a few finely chopped kalamata olives. Serves 2 for lunch or around 4 for tapas 6 baby capsicums (bell peppers) 120g marinated feta 3 tablespoons fresh herbs, finely chopped – the usual chives, basil, oregano, flat leaf parsley went into mine freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 180 C. Run a sharp knife around the stalk of the capsicums and remove the cores then scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. In a small bowl mash up the feta and the herbs with a fork until they are combined, but leaving the feta still a little chunky. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Fill up the cavities of the capsicums with the feta and herb mixture and then place on a baking tray lined with silicon paper in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes. Serve them hot or warm, spread on sourdough, or just on their own. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Lovely lime curd
Both my husband’s family and mine have a long tradition of growing citrus trees and making mouth puckeringly tart lemon and lime curd. The limes I used for this recipe were picked from the tree just before I made the curd. I have toned the amount of juice down a little in this recipe because most people can’t quite manage our family’s preferred level of sourness. If you have lemons, just substitue for the limes. Lime curd is very versatile and works well in tartlets for afternoon tea, as a filling in a sponge for a birthday treat, or just spread onto toast at breakfast. When I was growing up, my dad used to feed small pieces of fresh white bread spread with lemon curd to Purdy, our Irish Setter! It was her absolute favourite ‘people food’ and she always knew when mum was making a batch by the heady aroma of freshly squeezed lemons in the kitchen. Makes 2 cups 125g butter 125g sugar 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 4 eggs Place the butter, sugar and lime juice in a small saucepan over a very low heat and cook until the butter is just melted. meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. When the butter is melted, pour the warm mixture into the beaten eggs, whisking all the time. Return the mixture to the pan and bring gently to the boil, whisking all the time. It should suddenly start to thicken just at the point it starts to boil. Remove from the heat and strain through a seive into a glass jar. Before using the jar, make sure it is clean and dry. (I like to put jars through the dishwasher to sterilise them before use). Lime curd will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks, if it lasts that long. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Olive oil crispbread
This recipe is based on one by Yotam Ottonlenghi, the famous Israeli-British chef, restaurant owner, and food writer, who has made vegetables made interesting a feature of his cooking and describes his food goal as drama in the mouth. I changed the quantity of both olive oil and water in the original recipe, as my attempts following the quantities specified resulted in a quite crumbly dough that was hard to work with. I also took away additional spices from the original, as I wanted to serve the crackers with soft cheese and didn’t want to conflict with the creamy wonderfulness of triple brie from the Woombye Cheese Company (if you are able try this cheese – it is amazing). It was a very easy and quick to make something that looked and tasted quite special and very delicious. The crispbread is delicate and golden, and is a perfect accompaniment to soft cheese, or hummus, or labne. We added some pistachio and cranberry paste and a soft rosé, along with the cheese, and it was fabulous. Makes 16 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 1 tsp baking powder 125ml water 60 ml olive oil, plus extra for brushing (use a really fruity extra-virgin olive oil because the flavour will shine through) ½ tsp salt sea salt flakes for sprinkling In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, baking powder, water and olive oil and mix together until a dough is formed. Tip onto a bench top and knead lightly for a couple of minutes until the dough is smooth. Wrap in cling film and set aside for about 20 – 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 180C. Cut the dough into sixteen pieces. Dust the bench top with a little of the flour and then roll as thinly and evenly as possible using a rolling pin, to get a longish rectangle shape. You could also use a pasta machine if you have one. The final result should almost be transparent. Place on a baking sheet and brush lightly with a little of the extra olive oil, and then sprinkle on the salt. You could also sprinkle sesame seeds or nigella seeds for something a little different. Bake in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire cooling rack and when cold store in an airtight container. The crackers will keep for 3 – 4 days. You will never want to buy fancy deli crackers again, once you have tried these. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Super seeds
Seeds are a powerhouse of nutrients and have many benefits to our health. They contain healthy monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and many important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and they also taste delicious! I like to use seeds (and also some nuts) to make a treat to sprinkle over salads, or to serve with hummus and other dips. They add texture and flavour, as well as being much lower in fat than many dressings. Also wonderful is tossing them through roasted carrots, beetroot or sweet potato just before serving. This is my standard recipe – which has sesame, flax, pumpkin, sunflower and nigella seeds, plus some dry roasted almonds and a little chilli. The mix keeps well in a glass jar, and also makes a great gift for a health conscious friend. Change the quantities around to suit your taste, or substitute other seeds or nuts that you love – like chia, poppy seeds, or pistachios. Ingredients:2 tablespoons pumpkin kernels2 tablespoons sesame seeds2 tablespoons roughly chopped dry roasted almonds1 tablespoon nigella seeds1 tablespoon brown flax seeds1 tablsepoon sunflower kernels1 teaspoon sea salt flakesa pinch of dried chilli flakes In a small bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container and add to salads or top hummus or dips. You could also make a version to top your winter porridge oats by leaving out the salt and chilli and adding some ground cinnamon. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Overnight oats with berries and chia
Like religion, politics, and family planning, cereal is not a topic to be brought up in public. It’s too controversial. Erma Bombeck After a lifetime of detestation of oat porridge (something about the texture was anathema to me), I have lately come to love it quite passionately. I decided at age 52 that I needed to get over myself and try this wholesome, energy-filled breakfast food again. My 8 year old self had a minor tantrum, but grown-up me tried it, loved it, and now eats porridge almost every day for breakfast. As winter comes to a close I need something for my summer morning breakfast, and so tried overnight oats, also known as bircher meusli, after the Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner, who invented the recipe in the early 1900s. Really delicious, it is quick, easy and healthy. There are many variations of overnight oats, but this recipe is the one for me. I like the coconut particularly, and although the chia seeds are non-traditional, they give a protein boost to the dish. I used black chia seeds, but white ones would also be fine to use. If you ae avoiding dairy foods, then almond milk would be an excellent substitute. Serves 2 – 3 100 g oats 1 tablespoons chia seeds 2 tablespoons shredded coconut 300 ml milk 1/2 teaspoon honey, to taste a few drops of vanilla extract a squeeze of lemon juice Toppings: 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds 1 tablespoon dry roasted almonds, roughly chopped 1/2 – 1 cup blueberries and raspberries, or any fruit you have to hand (grated apple and sultanas, banana and passion-fruit, strawberries and pear, dried cranberries, flaked coconut and sultanas are all good combinations) honey In a 600 ml container with a lid, place all the ingredients and give a gentle stir. Cover and put in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning divide between two bowls and add the toppings. Drizzle over honey, to taste and eat right away.
Holy guacamole, Batman!
A perennial favourite, everyone has their preferred recipe for guacamole. and this is mine – smooth and creamy avocado contrasting with tomatoes, chilli, onion and herbs. There’s a tang of lemon, and the earthy notes of coriander in the dukkah I sprinkle on top, as well as a good seasoning of salt and black pepper. It’s very good with tortilla chips, on top of nachos, or folded into a soft taco or burrito. But it is also superb piled onto a piece of toast with soft feta and fresh coriander scattered on top. This recipe makes enough for a crowd, and it will keep for a couple of days. Perfect for summer afternoon drinks with good friends. 3 ripe avocados 1/2 red onion, very finely diced 1 long green chilli, very finely diced 3 ripe tomatoes, de-seeded and finely chopped 1 tablespoon chopped chives 1 tablespoon chopped mint 1 tablespoon chopped parsley juice of 1 large lemon sea salt and black pepper corn chips, dukkah, to serve Peel and de-seed the avocados and then combine with the onion, chilli, tomatoes, chives, mint and parsley, mashing the avocado with a fork. It’s up to you how smooth you want to make the guacamole – I like it with a bit of texture. Squeeze over the lemon juice and season well with sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Scatter over the dukkah and serve with corn chips. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation