Ingredients:
1 can brown lentils (or brown lentils you have soaked and stuff)
half a bulb of fennel, finely sliced
handful or two of sugar snap peas, blanched in boiling water then quickly run under a cold tap
half a red capsicum, roughly chopped
a cucumber, chopped into chunks
a handful or two of tiny cheery tomatoes or grape tomatoes
4 radishes, finely sliced
small handful of parsley, chopped
tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
small handful mint, chopped
half a lemon, squeezed
half a lime, squeezed
a good splash of olive oil
1 small chilli, desseded and chopped
1 small garlic clove, very finely chopped
slices of fried haloumi (optional. is still delicious without it for vegany joy! avocado slices would work too. or a dollop of humous)
or feta
You could also add baby spinach to bulk it up! or chick peas if that's your thing.
Chuck everything in a bowl and mix!
Serve topped with fried haloumi slices or feta or avocado or humous.
...
Monday, 21 December 2009
Monday, 30 November 2009
birthday brunch baked eggs
So, it was the girlfriend's birthday recently and I wanted to impress with brunch.*
*may or may not translate as, wanted to try out a new recipe on someone.
I did what I often do when I want to try something new - in this case, baked eggs. I googled and I looked at all my recipe books. Then I closed the books and the computer and thought about what I like I make something up based on what I've read.
The result was the "best birthday breakfast" she'd ever had.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
teaspoon paprika
splash tabasco
splash balsamic
1 red capsicum
bunch english spinach
handful kalamata olives, seeded and chopped
handful mushrooms, chopped
75 grams danish feta, crumbled
2 tablespoons canned tomatoes (or chopped fresh)
2 eggs
grated parmesan
pine nuts
chopped chives
chopped jalapenos (to serve)
lebanese bread
za'atar
1. fry onion and garlic in olive oil til soft but not brown
2. add mushrooms and saute
3. add slice capsicum, spinach, tomatoes and spices
4. add tabasco and balsamix
5. allow to cool a little then spoon into ramekins, adding crumbled feta
6. make a little well in the vege mix and crack in 1 egg per ramekin
7. sprinkle over grated parmesan, pine nuts and chopped chives
8. bake on high for about half an hour or until egg whites have firmed, cheese has melted and yolk is still a bit runny
9. meanwhile rub olive oil into lebanese bread and sprinkle generously with za'atar then grill until crispy
10. serve eggs sprinkled with extra chives and chopped pickled jalapenos, with za'atar bread to dip
*may or may not translate as, wanted to try out a new recipe on someone.
I did what I often do when I want to try something new - in this case, baked eggs. I googled and I looked at all my recipe books. Then I closed the books and the computer and thought about what I like I make something up based on what I've read.
The result was the "best birthday breakfast" she'd ever had.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
teaspoon paprika
splash tabasco
splash balsamic
1 red capsicum
bunch english spinach
handful kalamata olives, seeded and chopped
handful mushrooms, chopped
75 grams danish feta, crumbled
2 tablespoons canned tomatoes (or chopped fresh)
2 eggs
grated parmesan
pine nuts
chopped chives
chopped jalapenos (to serve)
lebanese bread
za'atar
1. fry onion and garlic in olive oil til soft but not brown
2. add mushrooms and saute
3. add slice capsicum, spinach, tomatoes and spices
4. add tabasco and balsamix
5. allow to cool a little then spoon into ramekins, adding crumbled feta
6. make a little well in the vege mix and crack in 1 egg per ramekin
7. sprinkle over grated parmesan, pine nuts and chopped chives
8. bake on high for about half an hour or until egg whites have firmed, cheese has melted and yolk is still a bit runny
9. meanwhile rub olive oil into lebanese bread and sprinkle generously with za'atar then grill until crispy
10. serve eggs sprinkled with extra chives and chopped pickled jalapenos, with za'atar bread to dip
smashed pea, feta and dill crostini
So this little delight isn't mine (though the dairy-free version is). I got it from my housemate's cookbook which I can't find right now but will find later in order to reference... I couldn't resist a recipe with the word "smashed" in the title!
These are delicious and have been met with much appreciation whenever served. And better yet, they are so easy.
serves 4
Ingredients:
a loaf of bread (good bread like sourdough or rye or at least something fresh and bakery bought!)
2 cups peas (the recipe called for fresh but I have used frozen and it's great)
about 150g danish feta
a tablespoon chooped fresh dill
2 small cloves garlic
1 lemon
olive oil
rock / sea salt and pepper
for dairy-free version:
1 potato
3 dill pickled gherkins
a teaspoon of whole egg mayonnaise
1. In a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic and dill with rock / sea salt and a splash of olive oil.
2. Add the peas, handful at a time, depending on your mortar size. You'll need to scoop out each handful into a bowl as you smash them. Smash them into a paste, but keep some intact for texture. Each batch you smash should get a little splash of olive oil as well.
3. Once you've smashed all the peas, crumble in danish feta and stir through. You don't want big lumps, but a big lumpy, yummy mixture a bit like mashed potato.
4. Toast your bread, rub with a little olive oil and rub with a halved garlic glove (cut side down)
5. Mountain on the pea mush - be generous!
6. Squeeze lemon over the crostini, crack pepper on top, garnish with a sprig of dill (or some finely diced tomato) and serve.
For the dairy-free version:
1. Chop potato into tiny cubes and boil until softened but still firm.
2. Mix with mayo and gherkin when cool.
3. Stir through instead of feta.
Vegan version:
Use vegan mayo or a bit of avocado would be nice too.
These are delicious and have been met with much appreciation whenever served. And better yet, they are so easy.
serves 4
Ingredients:
a loaf of bread (good bread like sourdough or rye or at least something fresh and bakery bought!)
2 cups peas (the recipe called for fresh but I have used frozen and it's great)
about 150g danish feta
a tablespoon chooped fresh dill
2 small cloves garlic
1 lemon
olive oil
rock / sea salt and pepper
for dairy-free version:
1 potato
3 dill pickled gherkins
a teaspoon of whole egg mayonnaise
1. In a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic and dill with rock / sea salt and a splash of olive oil.
2. Add the peas, handful at a time, depending on your mortar size. You'll need to scoop out each handful into a bowl as you smash them. Smash them into a paste, but keep some intact for texture. Each batch you smash should get a little splash of olive oil as well.
3. Once you've smashed all the peas, crumble in danish feta and stir through. You don't want big lumps, but a big lumpy, yummy mixture a bit like mashed potato.
4. Toast your bread, rub with a little olive oil and rub with a halved garlic glove (cut side down)
5. Mountain on the pea mush - be generous!
6. Squeeze lemon over the crostini, crack pepper on top, garnish with a sprig of dill (or some finely diced tomato) and serve.
For the dairy-free version:
1. Chop potato into tiny cubes and boil until softened but still firm.
2. Mix with mayo and gherkin when cool.
3. Stir through instead of feta.
Vegan version:
Use vegan mayo or a bit of avocado would be nice too.
Sunday, 29 November 2009
tofu, leek and mushroom bake
Last night I had dinner at Yulli's a new(ish) vegetarian place on Crown St. The food was ok, not amazing, but filling and varied and tasy and most importantly, we were able to have an entire vegan meal for my brother's phd celebrations.
Anyway we had some mushroom, leek and ginger dumplings and they were good, but over-gingered. So tonight I decided to make something similar (as bake not dumplings as am tired after work).
and so here it is. it is neither exact nor measured as it is a thrown together dinner. and it is one of those chuck-in-what's-in-the-cupboard-and-see-wholefood type deals.
Ingredients:
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
a nob of ginger (about the size of two thumbs)
good splash of soy
dessert spoon of kecap manis
spices (i used about half a teaspoon of mild curry powder, cumin, paprika)
1 leek
about 12 mushrooms (button or swiss brown or field...)
cauliflower and/or broccoli (optional - I used cos I had some in the fridge, any veges would be fine)
250g soft tofu
a cup of breadcrumbs (i make my own with leftover bread)
sesame seeds
1 egg (optional. dish is vegan without the egg)
1. Fry the onion, ginger, garlic and leek in sesame or peanut oil (vegetable oil if you must)
2. Add mushrooms and other vegetables if using as well as sauces and spices
3. Stir fry for a while and crumble in tofu, stirring to combine flavours and cook a bit. You could eat it at this point as scramble tofu, but I wanted something different.
4. Oil a casserole dish and add vegetables
5. Mix bread crumbs with salt and a pinch of each of the spices and top the casserole with crumbs.
6. (optional) Whisk the egg and drizzle over.
7. Sprinkle over sesame seeds.
8. Bake until browned and crispy. Eat!
GF: to make gluten-free use gluten-free bread or skip the bread and use lots of sesame seeds. If you want carbs in there, mix through cooked brown rice or quinoa. Yum!
...
Anyway we had some mushroom, leek and ginger dumplings and they were good, but over-gingered. So tonight I decided to make something similar (as bake not dumplings as am tired after work).
and so here it is. it is neither exact nor measured as it is a thrown together dinner. and it is one of those chuck-in-what's-in-the-cupboard-and-see-wholefood type deals.
Ingredients:
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
a nob of ginger (about the size of two thumbs)
good splash of soy
dessert spoon of kecap manis
spices (i used about half a teaspoon of mild curry powder, cumin, paprika)
1 leek
about 12 mushrooms (button or swiss brown or field...)
cauliflower and/or broccoli (optional - I used cos I had some in the fridge, any veges would be fine)
250g soft tofu
a cup of breadcrumbs (i make my own with leftover bread)
sesame seeds
1 egg (optional. dish is vegan without the egg)
1. Fry the onion, ginger, garlic and leek in sesame or peanut oil (vegetable oil if you must)
2. Add mushrooms and other vegetables if using as well as sauces and spices
3. Stir fry for a while and crumble in tofu, stirring to combine flavours and cook a bit. You could eat it at this point as scramble tofu, but I wanted something different.
4. Oil a casserole dish and add vegetables
5. Mix bread crumbs with salt and a pinch of each of the spices and top the casserole with crumbs.
6. (optional) Whisk the egg and drizzle over.
7. Sprinkle over sesame seeds.
8. Bake until browned and crispy. Eat!
GF: to make gluten-free use gluten-free bread or skip the bread and use lots of sesame seeds. If you want carbs in there, mix through cooked brown rice or quinoa. Yum!
...
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
lemony veges with feta salsa
I made this delicious fresh dinner tonight when the people I sent to the shops for pepper forgot to take their phones and so I couldn't call them and tell them to get butter for the lemon / butter / pepper sauce I was hoping to make. I wanted dairy in the dinner so came up with this:
Ingredients (serves 2):
3 cloves garlic
1 small white onion
1 large fennel bulb
1 bunch asparagus
a handful of mushrooms (swiss brown best or field)
handful spinach leaves
juice of 1 lemon
lots of cracked black pepper
for the salsa:
crumbled bulgarian sheep's milk feta*
a tomato, diced
a handful of mint leaves chopped
1. Dice the onion very small and fry gently in olive oil to soften
2. Add sliced mushrooms, fennel & garlic and fry til vegetabled soften and the mushrooms start to brown a little
3. Pour in lemon juice and add spinach and asparagus
4. Stir Fry for a while, but ensure vegetables are al dente - have a bit of crunch
5. Stir together salsa ingredients and serve salsa on top of the veges.
* A Note on Feta:
The kind of feta you use is important and if a recipe just calls for feta, it is stupid (unless I have done that in previous recipes...I am not stupid...) Seriously though there is such a difference in flavour and texture and fetas respond differently to heat. I like danish feta for cooking (especially sauces) as it melts well, bulgarian feta is beautiful as it is crumbly AND creamy, whereas Greek feta is great in salads as it is firm and salty.
...
Ingredients (serves 2):
3 cloves garlic
1 small white onion
1 large fennel bulb
1 bunch asparagus
a handful of mushrooms (swiss brown best or field)
handful spinach leaves
juice of 1 lemon
lots of cracked black pepper
for the salsa:
crumbled bulgarian sheep's milk feta*
a tomato, diced
a handful of mint leaves chopped
1. Dice the onion very small and fry gently in olive oil to soften
2. Add sliced mushrooms, fennel & garlic and fry til vegetabled soften and the mushrooms start to brown a little
3. Pour in lemon juice and add spinach and asparagus
4. Stir Fry for a while, but ensure vegetables are al dente - have a bit of crunch
5. Stir together salsa ingredients and serve salsa on top of the veges.
* A Note on Feta:
The kind of feta you use is important and if a recipe just calls for feta, it is stupid (unless I have done that in previous recipes...I am not stupid...) Seriously though there is such a difference in flavour and texture and fetas respond differently to heat. I like danish feta for cooking (especially sauces) as it melts well, bulgarian feta is beautiful as it is crumbly AND creamy, whereas Greek feta is great in salads as it is firm and salty.
...
Sunday, 31 May 2009
coffee fruit 'n nut cake
My mothers were good cooks in a hearty, early vegetarianism way. We had solid staples: curry, vege shepherds pie, pizza, pasta with tomato sauce, soup, nutroast... In the 90s we discovered the stir fry and by my late teens they were getting all fancy like and making cajun tofu with mango salsa 'n shit.
But an area where they were particularly skilled (in my opinion) was the hearty cake. Before they had moved to Haberfield and been inspired to make italian ricotta cake (or found ethics and hit on the vegan cupcakes), they made Barm Brack: a super hearty fruit cake with just fruit, tea, sugar, eggs and flower in it. I loved it and never understood why Louise ruined the formula each Christmas by adding alcohol, peel, spices and icing.
I've been meaning to make Barm Brack for years and finally hit up Teresa for the recip yesterday. But I couldn't bring myself not to get inventive so my altered recip
e is below. To make the original, ditch the nuts and spices and swap the coffee for tea! Nice and English.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups dried fruit (I used raisins, currants, turkish apricots and chopped figs)
1 cup brown sugar
1.75 cups coffee (I used cafetiere coffee, not too strong)
1 egg
1.25 cups self-raising flour
1 cup chopped nuts (I use almonds and hazelnuts)
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
DAY 1
1. Make coffee and then let it cool.
2. Pour coffee over fruit, stir in sugar and leave to soak overnight.
Incidentally I forgot to let the coffee cool and I forgot to add the sugar til the next day, but it worked just fine all the same.
DAY 2
preheat oven to 175 celcius
3. Beat the egg and stir into mixture.
4. Sift flour and stir in.
5. Beat well - by hand is sufficient.
6. Add nuts and spices.
7. Pour into pre-greased loaf tin and place in oven.
8. Bake for 1hr 45 mins or until cooked - keep an eye on it. When you can insert a knife and it comes out clean it's done.
The results are divine. Divine I say!
Great warm with butter!
Next time I'm adding chocolate chips!!!!!
...
But an area where they were particularly skilled (in my opinion) was the hearty cake. Before they had moved to Haberfield and been inspired to make italian ricotta cake (or found ethics and hit on the vegan cupcakes), they made Barm Brack: a super hearty fruit cake with just fruit, tea, sugar, eggs and flower in it. I loved it and never understood why Louise ruined the formula each Christmas by adding alcohol, peel, spices and icing.
I've been meaning to make Barm Brack for years and finally hit up Teresa for the recip yesterday. But I couldn't bring myself not to get inventive so my altered recip
e is below. To make the original, ditch the nuts and spices and swap the coffee for tea! Nice and English.Ingredients:
1.5 cups dried fruit (I used raisins, currants, turkish apricots and chopped figs)
1 cup brown sugar
1.75 cups coffee (I used cafetiere coffee, not too strong)
1 egg
1.25 cups self-raising flour
1 cup chopped nuts (I use almonds and hazelnuts)
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
DAY 1
1. Make coffee and then let it cool.
2. Pour coffee over fruit, stir in sugar and leave to soak overnight.
Incidentally I forgot to let the coffee cool and I forgot to add the sugar til the next day, but it worked just fine all the same.
DAY 2
preheat oven to 175 celcius
3. Beat the egg and stir into mixture.
4. Sift flour and stir in.
5. Beat well - by hand is sufficient.
6. Add nuts and spices.
7. Pour into pre-greased loaf tin and place in oven.
8. Bake for 1hr 45 mins or until cooked - keep an eye on it. When you can insert a knife and it comes out clean it's done.
The results are divine. Divine I say!
Great warm with butter!
Next time I'm adding chocolate chips!!!!!
...
Saturday, 30 May 2009
sweet potato and blue cheese muffins
so these delicious muffins have been adapted from a recipe Annabelle gave me...though I have, as is my habit, changed them substantially and added a bunch of extra ingredients...The original recipe had pumpkin, blue cheese, flour and egg...mine has -
Ingredients (makes 12):
400g chopped sweet potato
160g self raising flour
juice of a lemon
4 eggs
2 cloves garlic
half an onion
splash balsamic vinegar
splash tabasco
80g blue cheese
a handle of spinach leaves chopped
handful chopped parsley
tablespoon chopped rosemary
handful crushed walnuts
handful toasted pinenuts (fry in a dry pan or pop under the grill til browning)
olive oil for frying
salt & pepper
preheat oven to 200 celcius
1. boil the chopped sweet potato
2. meanwhile, fry the finely chopped onion and garlic in olive oil til softened then splash in tabasco and balsamic
3. when sweet potato is soft, mash it and mix it with the onion and garlic and lemon juice
4. leave the potato mixure to cool - it's important it isn't hot or it will cook the eggs when you add them!
5. once the mixture is cool, stir in the eggs (beaten before you add them) and the flour
6. add the nuts and herbs and spinach and stir to combine
7. season with salt & pepper
8. spoon half the mixture into muffin trays, place a nob of blue cheese in the centre of each muffin and then spoon mixture over the top to cover the cheese
9. bake in oven til starting to brown a little (took me about 25 minutes!)
these are great warm or cold. the blue cheese is pretty rich. if you don't like blue try a goat or feta. omnomnomnom!!!
...
Ingredients (makes 12):
400g chopped sweet potato
160g self raising flour
juice of a lemon
4 eggs
2 cloves garlic
half an onion
splash balsamic vinegar
splash tabasco
80g blue cheese
a handle of spinach leaves chopped
handful chopped parsley
tablespoon chopped rosemary
handful crushed walnuts
handful toasted pinenuts (fry in a dry pan or pop under the grill til browning)
olive oil for frying
salt & pepper
preheat oven to 200 celcius
1. boil the chopped sweet potato
2. meanwhile, fry the finely chopped onion and garlic in olive oil til softened then splash in tabasco and balsamic
3. when sweet potato is soft, mash it and mix it with the onion and garlic and lemon juice
4. leave the potato mixure to cool - it's important it isn't hot or it will cook the eggs when you add them!
5. once the mixture is cool, stir in the eggs (beaten before you add them) and the flour
6. add the nuts and herbs and spinach and stir to combine
7. season with salt & pepper
8. spoon half the mixture into muffin trays, place a nob of blue cheese in the centre of each muffin and then spoon mixture over the top to cover the cheese
9. bake in oven til starting to brown a little (took me about 25 minutes!)
these are great warm or cold. the blue cheese is pretty rich. if you don't like blue try a goat or feta. omnomnomnom!!!
...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
