Recipes - Roast Capsicum Soup

I just LOVE soups!  They're simple, versatile and can be incredibly healthy.  Perfect for winter when 'comfort food' usually means 'not going to fit into your jeans come summer'.  I think I could eat soup every day because you can use just about any and every combination of vegetable and meat with the addition of legumes, grains and pasta to create literally thousands of different varieties to suit your taste.  I created this recipe because I saw something similar somewhere and thought I'd give it a go.  So glad I did! 

Ingredients

1.5kg red capsicums, quartered, seeds and pith removed

1 spanish onion, peeled and quartered

6-8 cloves garlic, skin on

1Lt vegetable stock

natural yoghurt, to serve

chives, finely chopped, to serve

salt and pepper

olive oil

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180°C.

Step 2 - Place capsicum, onion and garlic cloves in a large baking tray.  Season well with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.  Roast in oven for 45 minutes.

Step 3 - Squeeze garlic from skin then place veggies in a large sauce pan with stock.  Bring to boil over high heat then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from stove top and set aside to cool slightly.

Step 4 - Blend soup with a stick mixer or in a blender.  Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.  Return to stove top over medium-low heat and simmer for a further 3-5 minutes until soup has thickened.

Step 5 - To serve, ladle a generous amount of soup into a bowl and top with a dollop of natural yoghurt and a sprinkling of chives.  

Notes:

Up to 750g of red capsicums can be replaced with yellow and/or orange capsicums.

Recipes - Lentil Salad

I've been on a bit of a health kick lately but was eating the same thing every single day.  No exaggeration.  So after two weeks, instead of giving up, I decided to get creative and throw together a simple yet delicious salad.  It tastes so amazing and could easily be served as a side dish for grilled meat or chicken or be like me and enjoy it as a filling, low calorie lunch.

Ingredients

1 x 400g tin lentils, drained and rinsed

150g low fat fetta, cubed

2 tomatoes, diced

1 lebanese cucumber, diced

1 red capsicum, finely diced

1/2 spanish onion, finely diced

1/4 cup coriander or parsley, roughly chopped

1 tbs olive oil

1/2 lemon, juiced

salt and pepper, to season

Step 1 - Combine all ingredients in a bowl, season well with pepper and lightly with salt.   Fold gently and serve. 

Recipes - Onion Bhaji

I am a huge lover of Indian food and I am a huge lover of entertaining/finger food type food.  This recipe ticks both of those boxes.  It's also flavoursome, pretty easy to make and incredibly cost effective.  I completely fell in love with these and can see myself making them all the time, they're just that good!

Ingredients

4 small/medium onions, peeled, halved and sliced

1 1/2 cups besan flour 

1 tsp garam marsala

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground corrainder seeds

1/4 tsp ground chilli powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger
water
olive oil, for frying
raita, to serve

Step 1 - Place onion, besan flour and spices in a large bowl and use your finger to toss until combined.  Add water, starting with about half a cup and stir with a spoon until combined to create a thick batter.  Add more water, little by little if needed. 
Step 2 - Heat a good layer of olive oil in a frying pan and heat until oil just starts to "shimmer" with heat.  Drop tablespoonfuls of the mix into the oil and cook for 2-3 mnutes each side until golden, flip and repeat.
Step 3 - Drain on paper towel and repeat with remaining mixture adding more oil in between batched if necessary.  Serve warm with raita on the side.  

Notes:

Besan flour is made from ground chickpeas.  It is gluten free and available from select supermarkets and most health food stores.


Raita can be made by mixing natural yoghurt with chopped mint and finely diced cucumber and season with a little salt.

Recipes - Chorizo and Prawn Paella

Paella is known as being the national dish of Spain, however it is actually exclusively Valencian.  Mine is in no way traditional, just something I threw together after limited research that seemed to work pretty well. 

Ingredients

2 chorizo sausages, sliced

500g green prawns

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 spanish onion, diced

1 red capsicum, sliced

1 green capsicum, sliced

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground chilli powder

3 cups chicken stock

1 quantity roast capsicum dip

2 cups rice

fresh coriander and sliced red chilli to serve

Step 1 - Heat olive oil in a large frying pan.  When hot, add garlic, onion and chorizo.  Fry off until golden then add the sliced capsicum. Fry for 1-2 minutes, until just tender then add the paprika, cumin, corriander and chilli.  Stir constantly for about 1 minute until toasted and fragrant.  
Step 2 - Add rice and toss to coat, then add capsicum dip and chicken stock and season well with salt. Stir well, reduce heat to low and seal pan with a tight fitting lid.  Cook, without stirring, for 25-30 minutes.
Step 3 - With 15 minutes to go, lift lid and quickly distribute prawns over top of rice.  Work quickly as you do not want to lose too much steam.  Replace lid and continue cooking for reaming time.  After the 25-30 minutes, check rice is cooked and if necessary, add a little more water, replace lid, and check again after 5 minutes.  
Step 4 - To serve, sprinkle with fresh corriander and chilli. Place pan on a wooden board and place in the centre of the table.  Enjoy!

Recipes - Roast Capsicum Dip

I love dips as there are a million different recipes, using thousands of ingredients and hundreds of ways to use them. This Roast Capsicum Dip is spicy and flavoursome, simple and quick to whip up (once the capsicums are roasted).  I am yet to serve it as a dip, but I have used it as an element of a canape, the base of a pasta sauce and a flavouring for rice.  So it's highly versatile as well as delicious. 

Ingredients

3 capsicums, roasted (about 300g once roasted)

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbs olive oil

salt, to season

Step 1 - Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.

Step 2 - Use 3 or 4 short pulses to combine. Serve warm or cold.

Recipes - Baked Polenta Rounds w Chorizo and Capsicum Dip

I made these recently for a dinner party and they were devoured within seconds.  I only had time to take a photo of the last one, but never fear, they were so popular I will surely make them again.  They're still being talked about days later.

Ingredients

1/2 cup dry polenta

1 cup water

1 cup milk

20g parmesan cheese, grated

10g butter

1 chorizo, cut into 12 pieces

1/4 cup capsicum dip

6 baby bocconcini, halved

Step 1 - Bring water and milk to boil in a large saucepan.  Reduce heat and add polenta in a slow steady steam, whisking constantly.  Whisk for 4-5 minutes, until thick, remove from heat, add parmesan and butter and stir until combined.  Pour into a greased 26cmx16cm slice tin.  Set aside for 3-4 hours to firm.

Step 2 - Preheat oven to 230. Spray a flat baking tray with olive oil.  Using a 3cm round cookie cutter, cut 12 rounds from the polenta.  Place rounds on the tray, spray with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp and starting to colour slightly,

Step 3 - Heat a grill or frying pan over high heat and cook chorizo for 1-2 minutes each side until charred. Set aside.

Step 4 - To assemble, place polenta rounds on a serving plate with a slice of chorizo on top.  Dollop with capsicum dip and top with a bocconcini half. Serve warm.

Recipes - Watermelon and Fetta Salad

This is an interesting combination of flavours that takes a bit of getting used to.  A friend asked me to make her a watermelon and fetta salad and after some brainstorming and research this is what I came up with.

Ingredients

1/4 watermelon, cubed

50g fetta

a few sprigs of mint, leaves torn

15g pistachio nuts, shelled and roughly chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

extra virgin olive oil

Step 1 - Place watermelon in a large bowl with pistachio nuts and mint leaves.
Step 2 - Crumble fetta over the top, squeeze lime juice and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Recipes - Antipasto Skewers

I love antipasto and almost always serve it at my own events.  I've found, however, that it's not the easiest thing to serve when catering or when going for a picnic.  So my quick fix is to skewer it.

Ingredients

Antipasto, for example:

salami, prociutto, ham

olives, sundried tomatoes

cherry tomtoes, artichoke

fetta, bocconcini, 

roast capsicum, chargrilled eggplant

chargrilled zucchini, stuffed bell peppers

marinted button mushrooms

toothpicks

Step 1 - If required, cube fetta, tear meats into smaller pieces, halve button mushrooms and bell peppers, or cut larger vegetables into small pieces. 

Step 2 - Thread 3 things onto each toothpick, making sure to create as many combinations as possible.

Notes:

Skewers can be prepped in advance and refrigerated for several hours before serving.

Recipes - Beef Noodle Salad

Want a delicious flavoursome salad that's a bit different?  Look no further.  I love Asian flavours but am not overly experienced with Asian cooking so I loved the simplicity of this dish.  The dressing is a perfect example of the four key asian flavours; sweet, sour, salty and spicy. 

Ingredients

400g beef rump steak

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbs ginger, finely grated

1 clove garlic, crushed

250g bean thread vermicelli noodles (glass noodles)

1 bunch baby bok choy, halved or quartered

1/2 cup coriander

1/4 cup Vietnamese mint

1/4 cup mint

1 long red chilli, thinly sliced (seeds and pith may be removed to reduce spiciness)

2 limes, juiced

1/4 cup fish sauce

1 tbs palm sugar, finely shaved 

1 tbs sesame seeds

Step 1 - Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic in a ceramic or glass bowl and whisk to combine.  Place beef in bowl and turn a few times to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning once.

Step 2 -  Drizzle a grill pan with a little olive oil and heat over high.  Grill beef for 2-5 minutes each side, depending on thickness of cut and how you like your beef cooked.  Remove from heat and set aside for five minutes to rest.

Step 3 - Bring a full kettle of water to the boil. Place boky choy and noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water over.  Cover and sit for two minutes, then drain and return noodles and bok choy to the bowl. 

Step 4 - Lightly toast sesame seeds in a dry pan or under an overhead grill. Set aside.

Step 5 - Place chilli, lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar in a small bowl and whisk until combined.  Pour over noodles.

Step 6 - To serve, slice beef into thin strips and add to noodles along with herbs.  Toss until combined and transfer to serving dishes.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Recipes - Poached Salmon

Salmon is a delicious fish and very healthy.  Poaching is a great cooking method for salmon as it upholds the integrity of the fish through the gentle cooking and doesn't add any fats or oils. Through poaching you can either enhance the natural flavour of the salmon by adding simple flavourings or complement the flavour by adding more punchy ingredients.  This recipe enhances the natural flavour and can be served with an assortment of sides.

Ingredients

2 x salmon fillet pieces

1 cup dry white wine

1 brown onion, peeled and quartered

1 large carrot, cut into chunks

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

1 lemon, sliced

a few sprigs of dill

a few sprigs of parsley

water

Pictured w Jamie Oliver's Potato Salad

Step 1 - Place onion, carrot, peppercorns, bay leaves, dill and parsley in a large deep frying pan.  Pour wine into pan and gently lower salmon pieces in, skin side down.  Distribute lemon slices over the top and pour in enough water to just cover the salmon fillets.

Step 2 - Cover pan and place on high heat.  Bring to boil and once boiling immediately reduce heat to a slow simmer.  Simmer, covered for 4-5 minutes.

Step 3 - Remove salmon fillets from pan and set aside to rest for 2 minutes.  If flaking, use a fork to flake flesh from skin.  If serving as a fillet, carefully transfer fillets to serving plates.

Recipes - Spicy Nuts

I found this recipe on taste.com.au a while back and felt it was a keeper!  Super quick to throw together and an absolute taste explosion.  Even better, the ingredients are items every pantry should keep.  So next time you have guests coming over, whip up a batch and try not to eat them all before your guests arrive!

Ingredients

200g raw macadamia nuts
250g raw cashews
150g natural almonds

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs honey

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chilli powder

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180°C.

Step 2 - Spread nuts over a tray and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.

Step 3 - Place remaining ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until combined.  Add nuts and coat well.

Step 4 - Return coated nuts to pan and bake for a further 5-7 minutes until dry to touch.  Remove pan from oven and set aside to cool.

Recipes - Bigilla

Bigilla is a Maltese dip made with dried broadbeans.  When I decided to make it I didn't think getting my hands on some dried broadbeans would be too difficult.  I was wrong.  In their absence I used frozen.  My Mum insists that this is not a bigilla because it has not been made with dried broadbeans.  It's also true that usually the dip is a medium-dark brown and mine is bright green.  Whatever it is and whatever broadbean you use, this dip is addictive!!  And just between you and me, I think it tastes better than the original.

Ingredients

500g broadbeans

1/2 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup parsley, firmly packed

1 tsp harissa

salt and pepper, to season

Step 1 - Boil broadbeans in lightly salted water for 4-5 minutes, or until soft.  Drain and transfer to food processor while still warm.

Step 2 - Add garlic, lemon juice, parsley and harrisa to broadbeans, season well with salt and pepper and process.  With motor running, drizzle olive oil in a thin stream until incorperated.  

Step 3 - Taste and adjust seasoning as required.  Serve warm or cool with crackers or bread. 

Notes:

If using dried broadbeans reduce the amount to 300g and soak overnight. Drain and rinse before commencing step 1.  Cooking time will also need to be extended.


I forgot to pick up some harissa so used tabasco sauce instead.  Not traditional but still gave it the kick it needed.  A fresh birdseye chilli could be used also.

Recipes - Garden Salad

I've noticed over the years that everyone does their garden salad a little differently.  Some people keep it super simple with just a few ingredients, some people like sliced carrot and cheddar cubes and other throw everything in, including mango, pineapple, apple and orange (yes! with lettuce, tomato and cheese).  I like to use the very best the garden has to offer and a few things from my fridge and pantry.  I think my garden salad is pretty alright.

Ingredients

150g mixed mesculan, washed

1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

1 lebanese cucumber, halved and sliced

1/2 red capsicum, thinly sliced

1/4 - 1/2 small spanish onion, sliced very thinly

1 avocado, diced

100g fetta, cubed

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted

1/2 lemon

olive oil

salt and pepper

2 tbs dukkah (this will MAKE the salad! Seriously, make sure you use it!)

balsamic glaze (optional)

Step 1 - Tip lettuce into a large salad bowl then layer capsicum, cucumber, tomatoes and spanish onion. Scatter avocado, fetta and olives on top.

Step 2 - Season well with salt and pepper then squeeze juice from lemon over salad. Drizzle with olive oil, I am a bit heavy handed but you can be as lite or heavy as you like. 

Step 3 - Sprinkle salad with dukkah and drizzle over a little balsamic glaze if desired. Serve immediately. 

Recipes - Pear, Walnut and Parmesan Salad

This is a salad I was making a lot about 6 or 7 years ago and I just got to thinking about it the other day.  An amazing combination of flavours; the peppery rocket, the sweet pears, the salty parmesan and the crunchy, creamy walnuts.  And then this is all countered with a sweet and sour balsamic vinegar.  I'm glad to be bringing this salad back.

Ingredients

120g rocket, washed and dried

2 pears, cored, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

60g parmesan cheese, shaved

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper, to season

Step 1 - Place rocket, pear slices, walnuts and parmesan cheese in a salad bowl. Toss gently with your fingers.
Step 2 - Drizzle with oil and vinegar and season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.  


Notes:


I used Nashi pears as they offer a slightly more crunchy texture and tend to hold their shape better than other varieties. 

Recipes - Beetroot Pickle

Beetroot pickle is something I have eaten once in my life, years ago, and just got a hankering for yesterday!  Its use is similar to that of a relish or a chutney; with meat, on burgers or that special little something on the side.  I was pretty happy with this recipe and I hope you like it too.

Ingredients

2 beetroot, medium-large

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp mustard seeds

4 cloves

12 black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

Step 1 - Place mustard seeds, cloves and pepper corns in a medium-large saucepan and toast over high heat until mustard seeds just start to pop.  Quickly remove from heat, if mustard seeds burn, discard all spices and begin again.
Step 2 - Transfer toasted spices to a mortar and pestle and pound until ground.
Step 3 - Transfer ground spices back to pan, add remaining ingredients, stir well and bring to boil over high heat.  Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.  Discard bay leaves.

Recipes - Laura's Rice

When I was 15, my friend Laura came to visit one day and we were hungry (which is a constant state for 15yr olds right?).  When I looked in my fridge I realised there was not a great deal of food so I grabbed a few things and threw them into a frying pan.  Laura was amazed that I was able to throw together something that was delicious and quick from seemingly nothing!  To this day she still talks about that dish, so here it is for everyone to enjoy.

The base of this dish is leftover cooked rice.  Rice can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days and is great for whipping up quick meals, like fried rice or this recipe.  This dish is in no way a risotto.  

Ingredients

1 chicken breast, about 350g, cubed

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 brown onion, finely diced

1 cup sour cream

70g baby spinach or rocket

2 cup cooked rice

1/4 grated parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve

salt and pepper, to season

Step 1 - Heat a good whack of olive oil in a large frying pan.  Throw in garlic and onions and fry until cooked and just starting to brown. Add chicken and fry until just cooked.
Step 2 - Turn heat to low and throw rice, spinach, sour cream and parmesan cheese into pan.  Season well with salt and pepper and stir until rice is warm, cheese is melting and spinach has wilted.
Step 3 - Serve with parmesan cheese and fresh cracked black papper.

Recipes - All-in-One Breakfast

I saw this recipe somewhere a few years ago and it has been on my mind ever since. This is a great breakfast to throw together when you have company as it is quick, only uses one dish and can be altered depending on the number of guests and their personal preferences.  Serve with a stack of buttered toast and some chutney or relish.

Ingredients - serves 2

2-4 eggs

2 rashers middle bacon

2 gourmet sausages

1 roma tomato, halved

2 field mushrooms, peeled and stalks removed

olive oil and salt and pepper to season

Step 1 - Heat oven to 200°C. 

Step 2 - Throw tomatoes and mushrooms in a ceramic dish or baking tray.  Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place in oven.

Step 3 - After 10 minutes, add sausages to the dish. Return to oven.

Step 4 - After another 10 minutes add bacon to the dish.

Step 5 - After a further 5 minutes remove dish and create a few little 'holes' between the ingredients. Crack eggs into these holes and return to oven for the final 3-4 minutes or until eggs are cooked to your liking.  Remember, the eggs will continue to cook after being removed from the oven so take them out when they look a little under.

Recipes - Netherby Chicken

I love creating a recipe around an ingredient and when King Island Dairy offered me a sample of their Netherby Blue Cheddar, my brain went into overdrive.  This was the very first recipe my brain threw at me and it is pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself!  

Ingredients

2  chicken breats (about 200g each)

4 thin slices prosciutto

2 slices King Island Dairy Netherby Blue Cheddar, about 20g each

1/2 cup grated King Island Dairy Netherby Blue Cheddar

1 cup polenta

2 cups water

2 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup cream

30g butter, cubed

1 bunch broccolini 

1 tsp thyme

salt and pepper to season

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180°C.  

Step 2 - Remove tenderloin from chicken breasts and slice each through the middle, ensuring you do not cut all the way through, then open out the breast.  Place a slice of cheese and two slices prosciutto on one side of each, then pull the other side over the fillings to encase them in the breast. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Step 3 - Heat a little olive oil and a knob of butter in a frying pan over high heat.  Place both breasts in the pan and cook chicken for about 30 seconds on each side.  Place something heavy, like a cake tin filled with rice, on the chicken breasts and transfer the pan to the oven.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through.

Step 4 - While chicken is cooking, bring stock and water to boil in a large heavy bottom saucepan.  Pour the polenta into the liquid in a slow and steady stream, whisking constantly with a balloon whisk.  Turn heat to low and stir, constantly, until polenta is thick and soft, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from heat, season well with salt, add butter, 1/2 cup cream and grated cheddar and stir until combined. Set aside until required.

Step 5 - Bring a small pot of water to the boil, add broccolini and cook for 1-2 minutes until broccolini is tender, remove from water.

Step 6 - To serve, place a mound of polenta on a serving dish and place a chicken breast on top with some broccolini on the side.  Return the pan that was used to cook the chicken to the stove top over high heat. When hot, add cream and thyme, toss together and spoon over chicken.  

Notes:

This meal is labeled as a quick meal and can be made in under 30 minutes, if you are able to multitask.  It may take a few attempts to get the timing perfect, but the benefit is that you get to eat this delicious meal each time! 

For this meal to qualify as gluten free, ensure you use a gluten free chicken stock.