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Spiced carrot and brown rice salad
I’ve been having an enforced rest following some surgery, but today felt like some creative cooking – reading the recipe books and magazines given to me by my very thoughtful colleagues the inspiration. Our oldest is back at home with us for a time and as he is a coeliac, gluten free cooking is required at our place. So this combination of nutty brown rice with warm spices, sharp, fresh coriander and sweet carrots makes an excellent salad that is healthy and filling and delicious for all of us. I’d recommend serving it with some grilled chicken, Greek yoghurt or labne, and a crisp white wine. Serves 2- 4 1 bunch Dutch carrots, tops trimmed, and washed (or use 5 – 6 carrots, peeled, and sliced in half lengthwise) finely chopped coriander stalks, from 1 bunch of coriander 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 tablespoon honey 1 cup brown rice, rinsed 2 cups water 1/2 cup currants 1/4 cup mixed seeds (I buy mixed seeds from the health food store) 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds 1 bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped Lemon dressing 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons honey 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 200C. Place carrots, coriander stalks, olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, honey, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric in a bowl, season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and mix well. Spread out in a single layer on a baking tray lined with silicon paper and roast for 25-30 minutes, turning two or three times, until and tender. I wanted to serve the salad in the roasting tray so as not to lose any of the pan juices, so I used a white enamel tray that could go straight to the table. Set aside to cool. While the carrots are cooking place the rice, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, and 2 cups water in a saucepan, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 30 – 40 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Check it now and then to make sure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Leave for 10 minutes with the lid on before uncovering to cool to room temperature. To make the lemon dressing, put all the ingredients in a small glass jar and shake well. When the rice is a t room temperature pour the dressing over and stir through. Add the currants, seeds and fresh coriander and mix well. Push the carrots to one side in the roasting pan, if you are serving from it and add the rice mixture. It will soak up any of the spiced juices in the pan. Alternatively place the carrots on a serving platter and drizzle over the juices, and pile the rice on the side.
Hummus – so good!
“God bless the chickpea” Dr.Michael Mitchell a.k.a George Clooney Once you have made hummus yourself you may never go back to buying it. It is so easy, and delicious, and really good for you also. It’s a staple at our place, and we use it in lots of ways, especially as we love the food of the Mediterranean and North Africa. According to the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, the earliest known recipes for a dish similar to hummus are recorded in cookbooks published in Cairo in the 13th century, so it is an ancient dish, with many regional differences, although the core ingredients are the same – chick peas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. There are a host of recipes for hummus available, so I made a version that suits my palate best. I like it with not too much garlic, so my recipe only uses one clove. When I was researching I found some recipes that had 3 or 4 cloves! If you really love garlic then I would suggest you use 2 cloves – any more makes the garlic flavour a bit too overwhelming. You can also add more or less tahini for your taste, but I would always suggest using a good amount of lemon juice – it’s a nice foil to the richer ingredients. Makes about 2 cups 2 x 400 g tins of chickpeas (try and get organic) juice of 1 medium lemon 1 clove garlic 6 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon tahini Place all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until well combined. I like my hummus with a bit of texture, but some people like it really smooth. It’s up to you. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to use. I like to serve it with a selection of fresh crisp vegetables and some flat bread, or Turkish bread. You can drizzle a little extra olive oil on top as you serve, or top with paprika, chopped coriander, toasted pine nuts, a swirl of harissa, or finely chopped chilli.
Grilled portabello mushrooms with polenta
Earthy, richly satisfying, and deeply warming on a windy winter’s day, these marinated and grilled portabello mushrooms with polenta are simply delicious. I love the almost meaty flavour of the portabello mushroom, and because they are robust in texture, they respond well to grilling. The marinade is greedily soaked up, and prevents the mushrooms becoming dry and wizened. I grilled the polenta, but the mushrooms would be equally gorgeous with a generous serving of soft polenta as the base. Serves 4 8 – 12 good sized portabello mushrooms, about 500 g 1/4 cup best quality red wine vinegar 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 plump garlic clove, crushed 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped sea salt and black pepper 1 cup polenta 1 L chicken or vegetable stock 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil handful of Italian parsley, extra, to serve 75 g shaved parmesan Wipe the mushrooms gently to remove any earth and then slice in half. In a glass bowl place the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, thyme, parsley, a good grind of black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Mix together and then gently toss through the mushrooms until they are well coated. set aside for about an hour. Meanwhile, bring the stock to the boil in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle in the polenta, and then whisk continually as it thickens. When it is done it should be like very thick porridge, but with no lumps, and should take about 5 – 6 minutes. Whisk in the butter until fully melted and incorporated and then pour into a 25 cm x 30 cm shallow baking tray that you have oiled with the extra olive oil. Set aside until cool and set, which should take about 1 hour. Heat a grill pan, or the bar-be-que grill and over a medium heat, grill the mushrooms until they are golden brown and well cooked, turning to make sure all sides are cooked. Take the mushrooms off the grill and keep warm. Turn out the polenta onto a sheet of silicon paper. This should not be a moment for breath holding, as it doesn’t stick to the pan. Carefully slice into pieces about 5 cm x 3 cm and then grill for about 5 minutes each side. It shouldn’t stick if you have the consistency correct. I did make it once where the polenta was a bit soft and, well, suffice it to say, the grill was a sea of collapsed and burning polenta, and the result not pretty, although delicious! Serve the polenta with the mushrooms on top, and the extra parsley and parmesan scattered over for garnish. Printable version: Grilled prtabello mushrooms with polenta
Smashed peas with fennel and mint
These beautiful little morsels are very easy to make, but look and taste as if they took a whole lot of effort and skill. Peas are gently simmered in a little stock that has been flavoured with onion, garlic and fennel, then mashed up and piled onto toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic and spread with some soft feta cheese. Fresh mint and snow pea sprouts finish them off and make them look just a little bit fancy. Miss 12 is on the adventure of a lifetime this month, singing in concerts and competing in an international choral festival in Italy. There’s just a little bit of family envy here at home, as the rest of us are in the middle of the much more prosaic round of work, study and exams. Making this recipe and catching up at the end of another busy day was not as glamorous as a gondola ride in Venice, but satisfying and delicious nonetheless. Makes enough to serve 8 – 10 for a snack, or 6 for a first course 500g fresh or frozen peas 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small onion, finely diced 1 baby fennel bulb, finely sliced and diced 1 clove garlic 3/4 cup vegetable stock 1 tablespoon butter salt and pepper 1 long bread stick, cut into 1 cm slices 150g soft feta cheese a handful of fresh mint, snow pea sprouts, and the fennel fronds, for garnish In a small saucepan heat the olive oil and gently fry the onion, the fennel, and 1/2 the garlic clove, finely diced, for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion is softened, but not coloured. Add the vegetable stock and turn up the heat. When the stock is boiling pour in the peas and cook for 5 minutes. Take off the heat, add the butter and season well with the salt and pepper. Use a stick blender to make a chunky mash of the peas. Do this carefully or else you will end up with pea puree – delicious, but not what is called for in this recipe. Toast the slices of bread under a hot grill and then spread each piece with a little feta cheese. Pile on spoonfuls of the pea puree and top with some mint, a snow pea sprout and a few fronds of fennel. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Zucchini with currants and pine nuts
When I was growing up zucchini was the most uninspiring green vegetable served at our table. My mother, bless her, would boil it until it was very soft and then serve it with a little butter and salt and pepper – squishy, flaccid, and bland. It was the way most people cooked green vegetables in the 1970s. It wasn’t until much later that I realized that zucchini had flavour, and that it was delicious! I’ve been growing zucchini in the garden this summer and we have had a surfeit of this sweet and tender vegetable. I remembered reading a recipe in a very old Gourmet Traveller magazine for zucchini with currants and it was from that idea this recipe was born. Much of the everyday food I cook for my family is simply grilled meat with vegetables, so any recipe that makes vegetables more appealing is on my watch list. I think this fits the bill – the sweet, spicy currants and slightly astringent dressing make the zucchini something special, and it works well served hot or warm. You could even cut the zucchini a bit smaller and toss through pasta with a little fresh ricotta cheese. Serves 4 1/4 cup olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 1/2 cup currants 600 g zucchini, cut into chunky pieces about 5 cm long 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons pine nuts 1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely sliced zest of 1/2 lemon sea salt and black pepper In a medium sized fry pan over low heat, cook the onion, garlic and currants with the olive oil, for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Turn the heat up and add the zucchini. Cook for another 5 minutes, tossing the zucchini around to cook it evenly. Add the vinegar, sugar, pine nuts and mint and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes. Season well with sea salt and black pepper. Turn onto a serving plate and scatter over the lemon zest. Serve hot or warm. 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
Herby vegetable soup
This soup is one of the easiest I have ever made, and it also only takes about 20 minutes to prepare and cook. It tastes fresh and clean, and leaves a warm glow inside, the way a good soup should. The most humble vegetables – carrots, leeks and zucchini – when combined with good quality stock and lots of fresh herbs straight from the garden, become something quite special. This is a super soup for this time of year, after a morning in the garden, or a walk in the crisp, autumn sunshine. It would also work really well in the springtime when the fresh, new vegetables are just becoming available. You could add a few asparagus spears for a spring-like flavour or maybe some tiny new broad beans. At our place we like this soup served with fresh, crusty bread and a generous spoonful of pesto on the top to stir through. Serves 4 1 leek, finely sliced 1 small clove garlic, crushed 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup diced carrot 1 cup diced zucchini 1 cup fresh or frozen peas 1/3 cup risoni 1 L good quality chicken or vegetable stock 3 tablespoons fresh herbs – dill is a must, but any combination of basil, chives, a little mint, thyme that you have to hand will work well sea salt and freashly ground black pepper 4 tablespoons of pesto and good crusty bread, to serve In a large saucepan, over low heat, cook the leeks and garlic in the olive oil until they have softened a little. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Add the carrot, zucchini and risoni and simmer for about 8 minutes. Add the peas and cook for a couple more minutes, until the risoni is cooked. Take off the heat, stir in the fresh herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately in warm bowls with a spoonful of pesto on top of the soup and crusty bread on the side. 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
Roasted beetroot with hazelnuts and thyme
Until I was in my twenties, the only beetroot I had ever eaten was tinned and sliced, served on a hamburger and my first experience of roasted, fresh beetroot was a revelation. This way of cooking them seems to bring out their natural sweetness and nuttiness, and they taste wonderful. Hazelnuts provide a satisfying crunch and the feta a welcome creaminess. I am by way of becoming a thyme addict. It is the easiest of all the herbs I have ever grown, and it marries incredibly well so many foods. Adding it here enhances the earthiness of the beetroot and its perfume is heady and attractive. I fish out the stalks when the beetroot is done and add some more fresh sprigs when I serve them and they look gorgeous against the ruby red beets and white feta. Serve with a spicy rocket salad and some grilled lamb, or for lunch with crusty bread. Serves 4 – 6 as a side dish 750 g beetroot (smaller ones are nicer for this dish) 2 plump garlic cloves 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil Sea salt and black pepper Small bunch of fresh thyme 1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts 50 g soft feta or mild goats cheese, crumbled Preheat oven to 180 C. Peel the beetroot, trying to take only the thinnest amount of the skin off, as all the best nutrients are close to the skin. You’ll get very pink fingers, so you might want to wear gloves to avoid curious glances for the rest of the day. Cut the beetroot into small wedges and place in a glass bowl. Add the olive oil, about 10 – 12 springs of thyme, the two garlic cloves (no need to peel them, as their flavour will permeate the beetroot) and season well with salt and pepper. Mix well with a large spoon to coat the beetroot evenly. Tip into a roasting pan, cover with aluminium foil, and roast for 1 1/2 hours. Check after an hour and give the beets a toss to make sure they are not sticking to the pan. When the beetroot is done, carefully pick out the thyme stalks and then place the beetroot on a serving platter. Sprinkle over the toasted hazelnuts, cheese and then scatter with a few more sprigs of fresh thyme. Serve hot or at room temperature. 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
Eggplant curry: the miracle meal
A few weeks ago I was catering for a retreat for 150 young adults. They needed to be fed for the whole weekend, which involved some serious cooking and quantities of food that were quite staggering. The friends who helped in the kitchen with me laughed and cried (onions, lots of onions), chopped, peeled, roasted, baked and served. It was a fun weekend, doing life with my tribe. There were a number of campers with special dietary requirements and I was determined to create a dinner dish that would cover everyone. So here it is – a vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, gluten free, nut free eggplant curry. Huzzah!! And it tastes amazing. Even without garlic and onion (to accommodate low- FODMAP requirements) there is a rich depth of flavour and balance between salt, sweet and heat. It is a great dish to have in the repertoire for friends and family with special dietary needs – and it is quick and easy too. If you want it to be a little more robust then add some small pieces of potato to the sauce a couple of minutes before adding the eggplant. Serve with rice or naan, or both. Serves 4 1 stalk lemongrass 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 1 tablespoon fresh tumeric 5 cm piece fresh ginger 1 teaspoon salt 50 ml canola oil 3 green shallots, finely chopped 1 bunch coriander 750 g eggplant 400 ml can coconut cream 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce (don’t use this if making the dish vegan – just add a little more salt) 1/2 juicy lime 3 teaspoons brown sugar 1 long red fresh chilli, finely chopped 1/4 cup toasted flaked coconut In a pestle and mortar, or a small food processor, combine the lemongrass (bruised with the pestle and finely sliced), chilli flakes, coriander seeds, turmeric (peeled and finely chopped), ginger (peeled and finely chopped), salt and the oil until it forms a rough paste. Add to a medium sized pan with the shallots and the finely chopped roots and stems of the fresh coriander. Cook over medium heat until aromatic. Add the coconut cream and 100 ml water and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, chop the eggplant into chunks. When the sauce reaches a simmer, add the eggplant and bring again to the boil. Simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the eggplant is soft and the sauce thickened a little. Add the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar and taste. Adjust with a little more lime or sugar, if needed. Just before serving stir through the coriander leaves, roughly chopped and scatter over the toasted coconut and fresh chilli.
Chilli linguini with cavolo nero
The secret to this rustic dish lies in the heat of garlic and chilli, and the saltiness of anchovies. If you do not like anchovies do not blanch in horror – they melt away during cooking and underpin the dish with a subtle saltiness and depth, but not fishiness. The cavolo nero is sauteed in this trinity of flavour packed ingredients and some good olive oil, and then tossed through chilli linguini and seasoned with parmesan and lemon zest. Delizioso! Cavolo nero, or Tuscan kale, is an Italian variety of kale, originally from Tuscany. Its glossy very dark green leaves have a robust texture and the flavour is somewhat like spinach but with a delicious nuttiness and slight sweetness. There are recipes using it dating from the 17th century, and it thrives in the garden without much need for care and attention. It is incredibly versatile, and can be eaten fresh, steamed, sauteed, or in a stir fry. We grew it over winter in our vegetable garden, and it is still providing us more than we can use, halfway through spring. Serves 4 500 g cavolo nero 1/3 cup good olive oil 2 large cloves garlic, crushed 2 long red chillis, sliced finely 4 anchovy fillets, chopped 500 g linguini (I use a chilli infused variety, but whatever is your favourite should work) 40 g parmesan, grated zest of 1 lemon sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper Trim the stalks from the cavolo nero and slice finely. In a large frying pan heat the olive oil and saute the garlic, chilli and anchovy fillets over medium heat, taking care not to burn the garlic for a couple of minutes. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the cavolo nero to the frying pan and saute until tender. Meanwhile, when the water comes to the boil, cook the pasta until al dente (about 8 – 10 minutes). When the pasta is cooked, drain well, keeping aside about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water. Toss the pasta through the kale mixture, adding some of the pasta water to bring it all together, glossy and delicious. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with the grated parmesan and lemon zest and serve right away. A red wine with some body to it goes beautifully with this dish, with Nina Simone as the soundtrack.
Lamb burgers with good things
Saturday lunch requires something easy and tasty, as the weekend mornings are often full of busyness and household chores. These lamb burgers fit the bill at our place, and they are packed with wonderful ingredients like garlic, pine nuts, chilli and cumin. Served on turkish bread with roasted capsicum, hummus and a minty fresh greek yoghurt, they are a universe away from a fast food burger and a million times better. You can roast your own capsicums and make your own hummus, but good quality store bought ones are great too, and then pulling these burgers together is a breeze. Your family will love them and be ready for a fun-filled Saturday afternoon. Serves 6 500 g lamb mince 1 egg 1 onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 finely chopped long red chilli 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon chopped parsley sea salt and black pepper 1 tablespoon pine nuts 1/2 cup greek yoghurt 1 cup fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup hummus 1 cup roasted red capsicum, cut into strips 2 cups fresh rocket leaves 6 turkish bread rolls, or 1 turkish pide cut into 6 In a medium bowl, mix together the mince, egg, onion, garlic, chilli, cumin seeds, parsley, pine nuts and a good seasoning of sea salt and black pepper. Form into 6 portions and shape into rounds with your hands and then pan fry over medium heat in a non stick pan for about 6 minutes per side, until cooked. While the burgers are cooking, finely chop the mint and stir through the greek yoghurt. Serve the burgers on the rolls with the hummus, capsicum, minted yoghurt and rocket. It will be messy, but glorious.
Orecchiette with salsa verde
This recipe is a whisper of springtime green in the middle of a wintry June. We still have herbs a-plenty in the garden at our place, even some basil that is remaining sweet, though it should have gone to seed long ago. The herbs called to me to make something bright and fresh and satisfying. Salsa verde, the result, is full of basil, mint and parsley, and spiked with capers, pickled baby cucumbers, lemon and olive oil. It is marvelous when served with orecchiette, the perfect pasta for it. The little indentations in the pasta catch the salsa verde and provide bursts of deliciousness with every mouthful. With a few pieces of creamy soft bocconcini and some fresh baby herbs on top, you will be transported to early September and the beginning of spring. Serves 4 2 cups basil leaves 1 cup flat leaf parsley 1/2 cup mint leaves 1 clove garlic 1 tablespoon capers 2 tablespoons cornichons, or other small gherkins zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon 150 ml extra virgin olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 500 g orecchiette 125 g bocconcini, torn into small pieces a handful of tiny basil, parsley, and mint leaves, for garnish In a food processor combine the parsley, mint, garlic, capers, cornichons, lemon zest and juice, and the olive oil and process until well combined, but still a bit chunky, rather than very smooth. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and set to one side. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil and then add the orecchiette and cook for 8 – 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the pasta well and then tumble onto 4 serving plates, or shallow pasta bowls. Drizzle over the salsa verde and top with the bocconcini and fresh herbs. Serve immediately with your favourite white wine. Printable version: Orecchiette with salsa verde