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. 

Top 5 - Vegetarian Meals

I love red meat and white meat and seafood and could never remove this food group from my diet but I do not have to eat meat with every meal, every day.  Vegetarian dishes can be exciting, tasty, versitile and enjoyed by everyone, vegetarians and carnivores alike.  It was hard to narrow this list down to just 5 as there are so many delicious vegetarian meals, but after much deliberation, here is my pick of top 5 for vegetarian meals.

• Cheese and Spinach Pie
• Triple P Pizza
• Roast Vegetable Stack
• Lentil Korma Burger
• Ravjul

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 - Margherita Pizza

The Margherita pizza is one of the most common and widely recognised traditional pizza varieties. It is, quite simply, cheese, tomato and herbs on a tomato sauced pizza base.  It's great to serve to kids as it is simple and tasty with uncomplicated flavours. Because it is so simple and very traditional there are a hundred different recipes with slight variations in ingredients used.  My recipe will just add to that list.

Ingredients

1 pizza base

1-2 tbs pizza sauce

8-12 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tsp dried Italian herbs

1/2 cup mozzarella, grated

1/2 cup tasty cheese, grated

basil leaves, to serve

I forgot the basil leaves!

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 230°C.

Step 2 - Place pizza base on a lightly greased pizza tray. Spread pizza sauce over base and sprinkle with dried herbs.  Evenly distribute mozzarella and half of the tasty cheese over sauce.  Top with cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  

Step 3 - Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until base is crisp. Top with basil leaves and serve with a simple, lightly dressed green salad.

Notes:

Amounts of pizza sauce and cheese can be increased or reduced, depending on how saucy or cheesy you like your pizza.

Recipes - Tomato Tarte Tatin

I recently served these at a dinner party and recieved the most amazing feedback, the best of all being that they were devoured in seconds.  I got the idea after seeing a similar canape from a UK fashion magazines webpage.  Unfortunately I can't remember the magazine but I'm glad I stumbled across it as it enabled me to create this.  


The pan I used is like a mini dutch pancake pan.  It's not a whoopie pie pan or a muffin top pan as they are a bit more square through the base, although these could be used.  I've posted a photo so check it out to see the style of pan I used.

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

50g goats cheese

18 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

12 small basil leaves

20g soft butter, to grease pan
1 tsp brown sugar

balsamic glaze, to serve (optional)

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 230°C.  Brush pan well with butter and sprinkle with sugar.  Set pastry on bench to thaw.

Step 2 - Place three tomato halves, cut side down, in each hole.  Top each with a piece of goats cheese.

Step 3 - Using a 6cm round cookie cutter, cut 12 rounds from pastry sheet.  Place a round over each lot of tomato and cheese, tucking it around the sides.  Transfer to oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden.

Step 4 - Remove pan from oven and gently press each pastry round down into the cheese and tomato (be careful, it's hot!).  Set aside for 10 minutes to cool and set.

Step 5 - Using finger tips, gently turn each tarte to loosen it, then slide each tarte from the pan, turning it right way up as you slide it out.  If any tomatoes fall out, just pop them back on top.  Place on a serving dish and place a basil leaf on each.  Drizzle with balsamic glaze, if using, and serve immediately.

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 - 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 - Haloumi and Chargrilled Zucchini Bruschetta

Haloumi and zucchini are a match made in foodie heaven.  So I put them together on some bruschetta.  This is quick to throw together, tastes amazing and will make you super popular when you serve it to your friends...if you can bear to let other people eat them.

Ingredients

250g haloumi, sliced thinly

2 zucchini, cut into thin slices lengthwise

1 tbs oregano, finely chopped

1/4 lemon, juiced

1 baguette, sliced on a diagonal

1-2 cloves garlic

olive oil, to drizzle

salt and pepper, to season

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 230°C.  Place baguette slices on a tray and bake for 7-8 minutes, turning once.  Remove from oven and rub each slice with garlic clove. Set aside.

Step 2 - Heat a grill pan over high heat.  Season zucchini slices with salt and cook for 1-2 minutes each side until cooked through and charred.  Remove from pan and cook haloumi for 1-2 minutes each side until golden.

Step 3 - To assemble, place bread on a serving plate and layer zucchini and haloumi.  Sprinkle with oregano, squeeze lemon juice, drizzle olive oil and season with pepper.  Serve warm.

Recipes - Spiced Lentil Burger

Lentils are an awesome and versatile pulse that work well as a burger.  They lend themselves well to strong flavours, such as spices and chillies.  This lentil burger packs a bit of a punch and is pretty healthy too.  Doesn't take too long to whip up but be warned: making the patties is a little messy!

Ingredients

400g tinned lentils, drained

2 cups fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs.

1 egg

salt, to season

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp grounds coriander seeds

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp ground chilli

1 cup roasted red capsicum
2 zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise
1 small eggplant, slice thinly lengthwise
1/4 lemon, juiced
mixed mesclun
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4-1/3 cup chilli jam
4 bread rolls

Step 1 - Place lentils, breadcrumbs, egg, pinch of salt and spices into a food processor.  Process until combined.  Using very well floured hands, form 4 lentil patties.  Place on a plate and transfer to fridge for 15 minutes to chill.

Step 2 - Heat a good whack of oil in a large non-stick frying pan.  When hot, add patties to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden, turning once.  Handle with care then drain on paper towel.
Step 3 - Heat a grill pan over high heat and drizzle with olive oil.  When hot, add zucchini and eggplant in batches and cook for 2-3 minutes each side. Season lightly with salt and lemon juice.
Step 4 - To assemble, halve bread rolls and place mesclun on base. Top with chargrilled veggies and roast capsicum.  Place lentil pattie on next and dollop sour cream and chilli jam then place lid of roll on top.

Recipes - Lentil Korma Burgers

I've declared my love for burgers a number of times on this blog and I don't discriminate against the non-meat variety.  Lentil burgers are really satisfying and these Indian inspired flavours work really well together.  Only downside is that it's a little messy to prepare.

Ingredients

400g can lentils, drained

2 cups fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 tbs Passage to Indian Korma Paste

plain flour

200g natural yoghurt

1 cucumber, grated

a few sprigs of mint, leaves removed and finely chopped

1/2 tsp ground cumin

pinch salt

1/2 cup mango chilli chutney

4 wholegrain bread rolls

2 tomatoes, sliced

mixed mesclun

Step 1 - Place lentils, breadcrumbs, egg and korma paste into a food processor.  Process until combined.  Using very well floured hands, form 4 lentil patties.  Place on a plate and transfer to fridge for 15 minutes to chill.

Step 2 - Heat a good whack of oil in a large non-stick frying pan.  When hot, add patties to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden, turning once.  Handle with care then drain on paper towel.

Step 3 - In a small bowl combine yoghurt, cucumber, mint, pinch of salt and cumin. Stir until combined.

Step 4 - To assemble, halve bread rolls and place lettuce and tomato on base.  Add the pattie then dollop yoghurt on top.  Spread mango chilli chutney over lids and place on top.  Serve with a side of onion bhaji if desired. 

Recipes - Bruschetta

Like many things bruschetta is all about balance.  Everyone has had bruschetta before but how often do you have good bruschetta?  I think this recipe is pretty amazing as the balance of flavours in spot on.  

Ingredients

1kg tomatoes, deseeded, finely diced

1/2 small spanish onion, finely diced

1 clove gaarlic, crushed

1/4 cup basil leaves, finely chopped

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 sourdough baguette, cut into 1cm slices

salt and pepper, to

balsamic glaze, to serve

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 230°C.  Spray a flat tray with olive oil.
Step 2 - Distribute bread over tray and spray will olive oil. Bake for 7-8 minutes, turning halfway through.  Remove from oven and set aside.
Step 3 - Place tomatoes, garlic, spanish onion and basil in a bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season well with salt and pepper.  Gently fold to combine.
Step 4 - Place bread slices on a serving tray and spoon a liberal amount of the tomato mixture on top of each.  Drizzle with a little balsamic glaze. Serve immediately.

Recipes - Jamie Oliver's Potato Salad

This is my all time most favourite ever potato salad, Jamie Oliver's Potato Salad!  It's not a typical potato salad as it does not have a sour cream/mayonnaise based dressing with bacon, egg, shallots or corn (that's my idea of a traditional potato salad anyway!)  It combines some of my favourite flavours; lemons, capers, pepper and has a very typical Jamie Oliver feel to it.  Serve with smoked or poached salmon, or enjoy on its own.

Ingredients

600g baby potatoes, halved

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbs capers, rinsed

1/3 cup dill, loosely packed

150mL creme fraiche

1 tbs horseradish

salt and pepper, to season

Served w Poached Salmon

Step 1 - Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil.  Add potatoes and cook for 10-15 minutes, until just cooked through. Drain.

Step 2 - While potatoes are cooking, place creme fraiche, horseradish and 1/2 lemon juice in a small bowl.  Season well with salt and pepper and mix until combined.  Set aside.

Step 3 - In a large bowl add remaining lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, oil and capers.  Throw in potatoes while they are still warm and toss to coat.  Set aside for 5-10 minutes, tossing occassionally, to allow the dressing to soak into the potatoes.  
Step 4 - Just before serving, add most of the dill to the potatoes and toss together.  Spoon potatoes onto a serving plate, ensuring you get all the capers and dressing.  Flick the creme fraiche over the top and sprinkle with remaining dill.

Notes:

I have used horseradish from a jar as I have not been able to get my hands on the fresh stuff. Fresh horseradish is always better if you are able to source it.  The amount of horseradish, either fresh or jarred, can be altered to suit your taste.  But keep in mind, use it liberally as it adds a good kick to the salad.

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 - 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 - King of the Cob

Cob breads filled with dip are always super popular when entertaining.  The idea of an edible vessel in which the dip is heated and served is just so appealing, especially when toasted cob breads are crusty on the outside, fluffy on the inside and provide the perfect dipping implement.  Just make sure you have some extra toasted bread as the dip is always too much for just one cob loaf.  

This dip is the result of a lightbulb moment and, while it is not the prettiest dip, it tastes so yummy!  So yummy. 

Ingredients

250g cream cheese, softened

150g sour cream

2 cups grated King Island Netherby Blue Cheddar

1 cup grated tasty cheddar

1 punnet cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/3 cup basil, finely chopped

1 cob loaf

4-6 bread rolls, roughly torn

salt and pepper, to season 

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a flat tray with baking paper and spray lightly with olive oil.

Step 2 - Scatter tomatoes over tray and season with a little salt.  Place in oven for 20-25 minutes, until tomatoes blacken around the edges.

Step 3 - Using a serrated knife, cut a circle in the top of the loaf.  Pull circle off loaf and set aside.  Remove a majority of the bread from inside the loaf, tearing into large chunks.  Set all bread aside.

Step 4 - Place cream cheese, sour cream, Netherby Blue, tasty cheddar and basil in a bowl.  Season well with pepper and mix until combined.  

Step 5 - Remove tomatoes from oven and set aside to cool.  When cool, gently fold through cheese mixture.  Pour dip into cob loaf and place lid back on top.  Discard baking paper, place cob on tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, until cob is golden and crispy.  In the last five minutes of oven time, scatter torn bread rolls and bread chunks around cob and place back in oven to toast.  Serve immediately.

Recipe - Cheese Souffle

When I decided to make a souffle, I was super super nervous!!  I read about eighteen recipes at least a dozen times.  Then I realised, there isn't a great deal to it. Make roux, beat eggs, oven bake.  Well, there's a little more to it than that but you get the idea.  I guess the reason souffles are made out to be really scary and easy to get wrong is that there are a lot of little things that can effect the final result.  The best thing to do it follow the recipe to the letter because there is a reason for every instruction.  If you wanna know why you have to do something just ask below.  I hope you have as much success with this recipe as I did. 

Ingredients

50g butter, softened

1/4 cup plain flour

300mL milk

150g King Island Dairy Netherby Blue Cheddar, grated

2 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

4 eggs, separated

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 200°C.  Place a flat tray in the oven.

Step 2 - Using 20g of the butter, grease 4 x 1 1/4 cup capacity ramekins. Set aside. 

Step 3 - Place remaining butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and melt until butter is frothing.  Add flour and cook, stirring constatly, until roux darkens slightly and easily comes away from the sides on the pan.

Step 4 - Remove pan from heat and pour in milk.  Whisk with a balloon whisk until smooth, then return to heat and stir until sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and stir through cheese, mustard and paprika until well incorporated. When mixture has cooled slightly, add egg yolks and stir until well combined.

Step 5 - Whisk egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form.  Use a spatula to gently fold 1/4 of the eggs into the cheese mixture.  When just incorporated, add remaining egg whites and fold until just mixed through.

Step 6 - Pour mixture into ramekins and run a finger around the top, between the ramekin and the souffle mixture, about 0.5cm deep.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until souffle has risen and is golden.
Step 7 - Serve immediately with a simply green leafy salad.

Notes:

Ensure all ingredients have been prepped prior to commencing this dish.