Classic Essential Salad Dressings

Ten houses down the street. The stretch of road I knew like the back of my hand, each front garden and it’s blooms in every season, each dog’s bark and each neighbour’s wave, the path to my best friend’s house. A well worn path two little girls, later teenagers and later again young women, would tread to each other’s homes where we’d each slip into each other’s families assuming the honorary place in the tribe and pecking order we were lovingly afforded. Where we’d feel as much at home as we did in our own homes, where reaching into a timber louvred pantry door to obtain ingredients to contribute to the ‘family’ meal felt as normal as it did at the other end of the ten homes. It was at these times that you were reminded that whilst always welcome and warmly embraced this family had it’s own pantry. One holding different flavours and ingredients for meals that made their memories special and that shaped their tastes and time together.

It's in this kitchen I discovered many flavours and dishes different from the ones my own family had shared meals in. Where soup was made of many different types of grated vegies and chicken simmered for a few hours or where mustard was king as a condiment on fresh fluffy white bread rolls with thinly sliced smoky ham for Saturday lunch. Condiments and embellishments for food often took pride of place in the centre of the table where tender, juicy roast beef was served with horseradish and hot English mustard and siblings competed with each other for the prize of the most resilient palate to tolerate the heat of the spicy yellow spread to loud cheers and jeers from amused parents. And in summer herby crumbed chicken fillets sizzled in a pan were served next to a fresh salad of crunchy iceberg lettuce and tomatoes robed with all manner of dressings. This both delighted and astonished me. I came from of a kitchen of plain foods with few additions and fewer flavours. The notion that even a simple salad could be finished with a flourish and elevated was one of the discoveries that fascinated me.

Whilst the dressings were often of the bottled Kraft Foods variety Italian and French being my favourite, the thin tangy homemade mayonnaise made by Joan the matriarch of my second family was also notorious and even higher in my emerging culinary esteem. Now, inspired by those moments in that compact kitchen that exploded with flavour, even the simplest of salads always reach my table adorned with glistening ribbons of dressings threading flavour through the leaves and greens nestled together.

This coming summer, I thought you might like to try some of the dressings I use to add flavour to our sides inspired by Joan and a family who always made room at the family table for one more mouth and lots of flavour.

Tangy Mustard Vinaigrette:

120 ml extra virgin olive oil

20 ml honey dijon mustard

20 lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

Ranch’ish Yoghurt Dressing:

½ c Greek yoghurt

1 tsp onion powder

1 garlic clove crushed

½ tsp dried dill OR 1tsp fresh dill finely chopped

1 tsp fresh parsley finely chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp olive oil

1 Tb (20 ml) water

Classic Mustard Vinaigrette:

120 ml extra virgin olive oil

20 ml honey Dijon mustard

20 ml white balsamic/white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Sesame & Honey Dressing:

1/3 c (80ml) olive oil

1Tb tahini

2 tsp honey

3 tsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

With each dressing you can use one of a few methods. You can whizz in a blender until smooth and fully emulsified, usually less than a minute. I use a Vitamix using one of the small cups and blend for 20 seconds. You could also use a stick blender as per your appliance’s instructions. Alternatively and probably the most versatile is to place all ingredients in a jar with a secure lid and get your muscles working shaking until thoroughly combined. A good job for the kids if you have helpers.

They all keep well in the fridge though the yoghurt dressing probably should be discarded after five days….if it lasts that long.

Roast Vegetable Salad

I’m pretty lucky for the most part with the lovely blokes I share my table with. They’re good eaters with an adventurous enough palette to indulge my experiments. But… and there’s always a but…they’re not the biggest vegie lovers. Each has their own preferences only a few of which cross over though the three all share a distaste for pumpkin. So some days out of exasperation I fall back on this old favourite. It’s colourful and vibrant, it cleans out the vegie drawer in the fridge, it goes with nearly anything, can be built up to be a meal in itself and is excellent for sharing with vegetarians. And the best part…. It’s all muddled together so more vegies are consumed than perhaps the eater may or may not intend.

I’ve shared the basis of what makes this salad but like a lot of family recipes it’s different every time in one way or another acting as a blank canvas of sorts to transform into whatever you need.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small, orange sweet potato peeled and cut into chunks

3 cups of pumpkin cut into chunks the same size as the sweet potato

2 large carrots peeled and sliced thickly

1 spanish onion cut into wedges

2 garlic cloves bruised

1 capsicum cored, deseeded and cut into chunks

1 zucchini quartered lengthways and sliced thickly

1 punnet of cherry tomatoes

2 handuls of baby spinach leaves or rocket (arugula) leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Dressing:

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

½ tbs brown sugar (I’ve used my favourite Panela Sugar here)

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 small garlic clove, crushed or grated

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c.

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar shake well and set aside allowing the flavours to combine while you make the salad.

Place sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot and garlic in a bowl with half the olive oil toss to coat, spread out on a large baking tray and roast for 20 minutes.

Combine onion, capsicum, zucchini and cherry tomatoes with remaining oil, toss to coat again. Add to the other veg on the same baking tray after the initial 20 minutes and return to oven for a further 15 minutes or until tender and softened and the edges are just caramelised.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle over the thyme leaves straight away. The heat from the vegies will warm the thyme and bring out the fragrance and flavour.

Allow to cool a little so the veggies don’t wilt the leaves too much. Serve on a platter either layering with the fresh leaves or gently tossing them through. Drizzle over the dressing (give it another shake before you do this), sprinkle over sea salt flakes and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Notes:

Slice 1-2 chorizos, fry and sprinkle the cooked slices over just before serving.

You can bulk up the salad, especially for vegetarians, by gently folding through a can of drained beans, lentils or chickpeas.

Sliced 100 gm of haloumi. Fry over and toss over salad just before serving.

Sprinkle over crumbled feta to taste.

Dried chilli flakes are also delicious sprinkled over.

Strawberry, Almond & Yoghurt Sheet Cake

When I was a young woman my then boyfriend and I would spend our weekends at a small coastal town a couple hours from home, him working on dive boats and me exploring nearby villages. I’d spend my time meandering through local farmer’s markets, collecting fresh produce from farm gates and walking on sun kissed beaches, toes in fine golden sand and water lapping at my feet. As the middle of the day would roll around I’d meet him and his boss at the pier in between dives to deliver a basket of food to sustain them through the busy afternoons taking tourists out in the bay. Amongst those goodies was often a hearty yoghurt cake to finish off their lunch and offer a little sweet treat. It was a simple cake reminiscent of a pound cake and symbolic of my cooking skills and taste at the time. Well those parcels of love must have worked because that boyfriend is now my husband and this cake like our life together has evolved to something even more enjoyable and interesting.

And like our life together, the cake too, has grown in size. The original recipe that’s inspired this week’s recipe was a normal small round cake perfect for two young lovers. But this more interesting version is what’s today known as a slab or sheet cake, perfect for a larger family, a group of friends enjoying a picnic or get together. It’s dotted with sweet bright strawberries and textured with both ground and sliced almonds. Scented with finely grated orange zest, it’s finished with a drizzle of citrusy icing.

Ingredients:

2 ¼ C plain flour

2 ½ tsp baking powder

½ C ground almond meal/almond flour

1 ¼ C sugar

125 G butter melted

3 eggs lightly beaten

¾ C greek yoghurt

¼ C Milk

250 gm strawberries hulled and halved

Grated rind of a blood orange (regular orange is fine if blood orange notin season)

1 tsp Vanilla extract or paste

¼ c almond slices

Icing:

¼ Icing sugar

1 tbs blood orange or regular orange juice

Combine and mix until smooth and runny for drizzling.

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c, grease and line a 32cm x 22cm high sided pan.

Combine all dry dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and give it a quick stir with a hand whisk or for to ensure everything is thoroughly combined. Add all wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combine then mix on high speed for 1-2 minutes until lighter in colour and slightly increased in volume.

Pour into prepared pan and smooth over with the back of a spatula or large spoon. Place strawberry halves even spread over top and gently pushed half way in. Sprinkle over almond slices and bake 30 minutes or until skewer in the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool in tin. Drizzle icing over and slice to serve.

Notes:

The strawberries are also lovely mixed through the cake. If you want to do this fold them through before pouring batter into tin.

Any berries will work well. If using blueberries try lemon rind and juice for the cake and icing.

Beetroot Dip and White Bean Dip

As spring emerges we often head out with friends camping and exploring. Now for some the C word (camping that is) can make the toes curl of some travellers who prefer only five stars to sleep under rather than the billions that twinkle and adorn the night skies of open spaces. Fear not though my friends we’re not ones to rough it too much and indeed never want for anything. Travelling with friends, as we do, is as social and abundant as if we’re were dining together around our table at home. As the sun sets on our days, fold up tables heave under the weight of many delicious contributions to pre-dinner drinks and grazing as laughter and the clinking of glasses fills the air. Aside from delicious finds on the journey we also travel with well stocked fridges. In my fridge you’ll usually find easy homemade dips to share with fresh bread and crudites. They’re easy to whip up and keep well for a number of days, though they never last that long.

Requiring only a few ingredients and blender or food processor I thought you might enjoy them too. They’re both handy recipes to have to pull together at short notice when friends drop in or to make ahead to kick off a festive get together.

White Bean and Sesame Dip

Ingredients:

400g of white beans (any variety)

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Juice and rind of a lemon

2 Tb water

1 garlic clove crushed or grated

1 tsp of cumin

¼ tsp of salt flakes

1 tsp sesame seeds lightly toasted

1 tsp tahini

In a hot dry fry pan, lightly toast the sesame seeds swirling them frequently. This should only take a couple minutes. Allow to cool while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Lightly drain beans. Allowing the beans to remain lightly coated in the aquafaba from the can will help the dip whip and thicken.

Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor. A regular blender will be fine if that’s what you have it just may take a little longer and a few scrapes of the bowl/jug to ensure everything is properly processed and smooth.

Whizz on high until a smooth dip is achieved. Check for taste and adjust as suits. I sometimes increase the lemon a little as, strangely, lemon flavour can vary.

Beetroot Hummus

Ingredients:

400 gm can of Chickpeas lightly drained

100-120gm of Beetroot cooked/prepared beetroot

2 Tb lemon juice

1 tsp cumin

1 garlic clove grated or crushed

1 Tb water

½ tsp salt flakes

1 Tb extra olive oil

As with the White Bean Dip, lightly drain chickpeas.

If preparing your own beetroot as I have here, wrap whole beetroot in foil with a drizzle of olive oil and a slice of citrus of your choic and roast in a moderate oven (180c/350f) for 45-60 mins or until a skewer inserted goes in easily. Allow to cool completely peel and roughly cut into large chunks. Alternatively drain canned beetroot well.

Combine all ingredients in blender/food processor and whizz until smooth.

If using canned beetroot hold back on the water until processing and only use if required as canned is a wetter product than home cooked and may not require extra liuquid.

Notes:

I use a Vitamix blender which has a dip function on it. If you have a blender with such a function use this to process. I don’t have a thermomix or similar though suspect they may be the same.

If using a food processor stop processing once it’s a coarse pasted and scrape down as required and resume mixing.

Smoothie makers are also great for making dips if you don’t have any other mixing appliance.

If you’re pressed for time and or inclination when making the white bean and sesame dip and don’t want to toast the sesame seeds just add them fresh, it’s still declicious.

The white bean dip makes a great sauce too and just needs to be thinned down a little. I just use water for this but add it spoonful at a time slowly so as not to make it too thin.

Tex Mex Pulled Chicken

Once upon a time in a supermarket not too far away a mum and her ‘little boy’ wandered aimlessly around the aisles. The mum was daydreaming, staring into space imagining herself under a palm tree sipping cocktails while an invisible chef in a tropical resort worried about what to feed her family. The ‘little’ boy, who was actually six foot two and full of spunk and life, noticed his mother’s inattention and proceeded to quietly fill the trolley with items, that even at 18 his mother wouldn’t buy him. Struggling for inspiration the mother asked “What should we have for dinner?” The boy hopefully suggested ‘pulled chicken.’ Startled from her day dreaming the mother did a double take and asked “pulled chicken? What’s pulled chicken?” The boy informed his mother “it’s like pulled pork only its chicken and tastes like Mexican.” Now you can imagine cogs turning over in the mother’s mind. Switched back into action the mother’s mind started whirring like a creaky old engine who’d been oiled and fired into working order. An idea took shape and she acquired the ingredients she thought would come together to meet the brief set by her son. And that my friends is how our Tex Mex pulled Chicken was born.

*Spoiler alert: the mother was me, I was tired, and had no clue what to make for yet another dinner and the 18 year old bean pole was my lovely ‘little boy who’s not so little anymore.”

Our pulled chicken recipe can be enjoyed just like pulled pork in a delicious brioche bun or regular hamburger bun with all the trimmings. It also makes a great meal served atop a steaming baked potato or bowl of rice and is a tasty addition to nachos.

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken thigh fillets

1 Tbsp olive oil

1red/Spanish onion sliced

1 red capsicum deseeded and diced

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 Tbsp diced chipotle in adobo sauce

1 400gm can of diced tomatoes

400 ml of beef stock ( I use the tomato can to measure this)

1 Tbs of sticky quince syrup or maple syrup

1 tsp dried oregano leaves.

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c

Heat oil in ovenproof pan over high heat. Season chicken with salt flakes and black pepper and brown in batches in the pan until golden but not cooked through, around 3-5 minutes. Remove chicken leaving juices in the pan, keep warm.

Reduce heat to low, add onion, capsicum and garlic and cook gently until softened. Increase heat to medium and add paprika frying off briefly until fragrant. Add chipotle in adobo stirring to distribute thoroughly. Pour in tomatoes, stock, syrup and oregano, increase heat to high. Return chicken to the pan fitting snuggly so they’re submerged. Bring to the boil, cover and place in the oven. Immediately reduce heat to 160c and cook for 1 ½ hours or until falling apart. Remove from oven allow to cool slightly then gently pull apart with two forks and serve to your liking.

Notes:

During the oven cooking time you too should day dream about tropical resorts and cocktails.

Sticky quince syrup is the brainchild of Sue from Singing Magpie Produce. I’m a huge fan of her products and especially love this unique offering. It’s super versatile and indeed works in both savoury and sweet dishes. If you’re unable to get your hands on some, maple syrup will be fine though check the sweetness as you work as the two products are slightly different in their intensity.

You may want to add more sweetness if that’s to your taste. Taste at the end of cooking and slowly add more if you need. In savoury dishes sweetness can be like salt and be a very individual taste.

Moroccan Lamb Soup

Discussing first memories recently, my son asked what mine was. Not surprisingly it involved food. I’m one of those people who have extremely early memories. The most early one I remember was very little me, perhaps three years old, sitting in a high chair. I remember the cool timber look Laminex tray table, the cool white vinyl upholstery and chrome frame kicking my legs anxiously awaiting dinner. Sitting in our small timber kitchen mum placed my bunnykins bowl full of lamb and barley soup in front of me with matching spoon. I distinctly remember announcing I didn’t like the ‘rubber’ (fat layer) on the chops I’d been served earlier and leftover soup being offered to me instead. Little morsels of shredded lamb shank meat and pearly white barley floated in clear salty broth dotted with tiny oily droplets across the surface. I loved barley and still do and promptly proceeded to clean that bowl of steaming soup up in only a few scoops.

I still love soup and still love lamb though my palette is a little more sophisticated and I sit in a big girl’s chair now. With the arctic blast that interrupted our gorgeous spring weather at the end of last week a big bowl of warming soup was on my mind. Using left over roast lamb from earlier in the week and loads of veg still left in the fridge I set about cooking one of my favourtites. It’s a good one for the end of the week as it uses up lots of bits leftover from the week with a few cans from pantry is hearty and satisfying and on the table quickly with little effort….And yes no matter the season there’s always a place for soup, even in spring.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil

1 medium to large carrot peeled and diced

1 stick of celery finely diced

1 onion diced

2 garlic cloves crushed or grated

½ a red capsicum diced

2 tsp rose harissa (regular is fine if that’s all you have)

2 tsp tomato paste

1 tsp chermoula spice mix

100-150 gm of cooked leftover lamb chopped

1 400 gm can chopped tomatoes

1 400 gm can chickpeas drained and washed

5 cups of stock (chicken or beef, whichever you have is fine)

1 cup frozen peas

1 handful of baby spinach leaves, stalks removed and finely chopped

Method:

In a medium to large saucepan over high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic and capsicum turn heat down to medium low and gently saute vegies for five minutes or until softened but not browned. Increase heat to medium and add lamb and quickly heat stirring for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and harissa paste and fry off for a few minutes until fragrant. Sprinkle in spice mix and fry off for a minute to release flavour and aroma. Add tomatoes and chickpeas and stir quickly to warm and combine. Pour in stock and stir thoroughly bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for thirty minutes. Add peas and spinach and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Season to taste serve

Serve with warmed flat bread a sprinkle of mint or parsley and perhaps a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

Notes:

If Lamb is not to your taste or available you can omit and increase veggies for a vegetarian/ vegan option. Alternatively add equivalent cooked chicken.

Any canned pulse can substitute the chickpeas.

Frozen spinach is a great substitute, 1-2 cubes will do the trick.

If using whole canned tomatoes give them a chop up in the can with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors.

Feta sprinkled on top is delicious alternative to yoghurt.

Banana Pecan Caramel Cake

“Banana Cake Sally?”

“Does the world really need another Banana Cake recipe Sally?”

I know, I know I can hear you all from here but trust me there’s always room for one more and you quite possibly will be glad I did it. This is Hubby’s favourite banana cake which coming from a man who’s not a big cake man I take that as high praise. It’s, as a banana cake should be, very moist. It has a satisfying texture with the inclusion of sweet, fresh Australian pecans and finishes with subtle smooth hints of caramel flavours from the rich Panela Sugar and Date syrup. It’s a quick mix style needing just a bowl and spoon and is ready from go to woe in under an hour. What’s not to love?

Ingredients:

2 eggs

100 gm panela sugar *

1/3 C olive oil

¼ C milk

2 Tbs date syrup

100gm wholemeal spelt flour

100gm self raising flour (White)

½ tsp baking powder

¼ allspice

2 very ripe bananas mashed

½ C chopped pecans

Pinch of salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:

250 gm block of cream cheese

100 gm soft butter

1 cup icing sugar/mixture

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 pinches of ground cardamon (you could do this to taste if you wish. I like a hint of cardamon as an enhancer rather than it being the prominent flavour in this)

Bought Caramel like Bonne Maman or similar to serve.

Method:

Grease and line a loaf tin or 20 cm round spring form tin and preheat oven to 180c.

Combine all dry ingredients and set aside. Whisk together eggs and sugar until lightly thickened. Add milk and date syrup and whisk to combine well. Tip in flours, spice and baking powder and stir through gently. Don’t worry if it’s not completely combined, the addition of the banana and pecan with finish that off. Add banana, pecan and salt. Fold through until just combined. Tip in to preferred tin, bang on the bench a couple times to disperse any air bubbles and bake for 40 minutes or until that reliable old skewer comes out clean.

**Check the cake after 30 minutes to ensure the top is not browning too quickly. If it is, loosely cover with foil for last ten minutes.

Notes:

Panela sugar is also known as rapadura sugar. I use Grounded Pleasures sugar, it’s a family owned aussie company who source the best organic ingredients so it’s quality is always reliable. If you’re unable to source Panela Sugar for this recipe substitute ½ & ½ white caster sugar and brown sugar.

My favourite pecans are Hickson Pecans from norther NSW. They have a lovely sweet flavour and are always super fresh.

Wholemeal spelt flour can be substituted with regular wholemeal flour.

Date syrup can be subsidised with golden syrup but you may like reduce the amount as it’s a bit sweeter than date.

If you prefer to make your own caramel I use the Stephanie Alexander recipe from her Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe. It makes a huge amount and is perfectly balanced.

Speedy Smoky & Spicy Baked Beans

When I was a child one of my favourite things to do was enjoy a sleep over at my Nana’s and Papa’s house. They lived on what would today be considered an urban farm. Ahead of their time in some ways, on their half acre suburban block they grew a large array of vegetable, nurtured several productive fruit trees and were surrounded by a lush flower garden. We all anxiously awaited the bloom of the blood plum tree, the pie from the granny smith apples, the cucumber relish from the vegie patch and to pick flowers for a little posie to take home. Her roasts were legendry, her Cornish pasties devoured and her golden syrup dumplings like liquid gold. So with all that in my treasured memories you’d think one of those delicious old fashioned favourites would be this week’s offering wouldn’t you. Well not quite. One of the best things about those sleep overs was supper. My grandfather was English and they were former farmers so meals were taken early, the main meal of the day was enjoyed at lunch and the evening meal a little lighter, so a fortifying supper snack was a nightly treat in their house and a delight to a little girl who was allowed to stay up later than usual listening to classical music and choose whatever I wanted. Some of my favourites were vegemite toast on thick cut white bread with fresh salty butter that dripped between my fingers which I’ve never been able to reproduce, canned tomato soup and believe it or not canned baked beans. I know! None of those were what you were expecting but when I think of her I’m transported to a feeling love created and shared around food. A compliment she made me back in her later years when she’d come to my home for lunch, complimenting my cooking and batting away any credit for the passion she’s sparked in me for food and cooking with her own observations…”I can cook country food but Sal is much more adventurous than me…. I enjoy trying all the different things she makes.”

So perhaps it’s the feeling I crave when I create dishes inspired by those memories like this hug in a bowl. I’ve eaten a plethora of Baked Beans recipes over the years from a variety of sources. This is my take on the genre, it’s tasty, easy, you may even have all the ingredients in the kitchen already and is pretty fast. As much as I love a slow cook session once I have a craving for something I need it satisfied. These beans are good for breakfast, brunch, lunch dinner, brinner or supper. I hope you enjoy them and they transports you to happy memories.

Ingredients:

1 Chorizo Sausage chopped. The cured variety similar to salami.

1 tbs olive oil

½ a brown onion or 1 eschallot finely chopped

1 clove garlic crushed chopped or grated, it really doesn’t matter which

1 tsp of finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

¼ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 400gm can of crushed tomatoes

1 400gm can of white beans

1 tbs of Date syrup ( you can sub this with maple or 2 tsp of treacle or golden syrup. It’s the rich warm sweetness we’re after)

½ tsp smoked salt

Method:

Place chopped chorizo into cold, medium sized fry pan withot oil. As the pan warms the oil and fat will render out. As the edges start to caramelise add the oil warm it for a minute then add onion, turn down to low flame and cook slowly for five minutes, don’t let the onions caramelise. Increase heat to medium and add garlic for a further minute or until just fragrant. Add spcies, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add thyme stir then add tomatoes. Let them bubble up stirring all the while to combine all the flavours. Add drained beans and syrup, stir well sprinkle in smoked salt and stir again. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Enjoy with toast or an egg on top and goats cheese.

Note:

Gamze smoked goods produce my favourite chorizo. It’s spicy and has an excellent texture when cooked. It’s not readily available near me so I often use whatever is available at the deli and add some dried chilli flakes to taste to spice it up.

For Vegetarians this will still be delicious without sausage. The bulk of the flavour comes for the rest of the ingredients.

Smoked salt is readily available in Australian supermarkets under the Olsson’s brand or online here. A little google search showed me that it’s also available in American supermarkets and under the Maldon brand in the UK.

Date Syrup is a new product from Australian sugar brand CSR and is widely available in major supermarkets. I’ve only just discovered it and am experimenting with it widely. It’s available in American and British supermarkets. It has a lovely subtle caramel flavour without being overly sweet so seems to sit well as a seasoning in savoury dishes.

Leftovers Tart

Food traditions are amongst my very favourite. The moment when you bite into your first mouthful of a much-loved dish that you always look forward to, that always evokes a blissful moan of delight. The ever reliable flavour that fills your mouth and takes your heart back to a bank of memories that reliably bloom every time you eat that cherished dish. I have many special memories that always take me back to my own moments but for my kids (who’re far from kids at 19 & 21) and the family I’ve created its plain old sausage rolls. I only ever use this recipe from Donna Hay with a few family tweaks, any attempts to try a different one always roundly rejected. Every year our national football grand final is always accompanied by a large batch of these, indeed I wouldn’t even bother trying to sit down to watch the game with the family without them. BUT without fail every time I make them I get the amount of pastry wrong….every single time!! Now normally it’s a small amount and I ahem may or may not roll up the pastry with some jam and throw it in the oven with the rest for a little cook’s treat. This year however I really got it wrong, I had a whole sheet left over and that’s a little too much to justify as a treat. So with head in the fridge looking for inspo and an armload of bits and pieces this little tart was born. I shared it on Instagram with a pic of sausage rolls and at best thought we might chat about the footy but instead I’ve received many requests for a recipe for what I first called Leftovers Tart but have now dubbed Frittata Tart because ‘leftovers tart’ lacked an enticing quality all recipe titles should have. With a shell of flaky puff pastry, some quickly assembled bits and bobs and an eggy filling similar to a frittata texture and flavour, it’s delicious warm or cold is super flexible and fast to throw together and looks fancy. Oh and it uses up some of those fridge filing leftovers.

From the time I decide to make this I can get it in the oven in 20 minutes of minimal effort. A great one to use for impromptu get togethers or busy nights.

Ingredients:

1 Sheet of frozen puff pastry thawed. You may need to patchwork this like the one on Instagram but that’s totally fine, it all tastes the same.

1 large handful of baby spinach leaves. I like to remove the stalks and tear the leaves up a bit but you do you.

2-3 Tbs of bought caramelised onion jam.

8 eggs

¼ C of Milk, cream or sour cream. Whatever you have in the fridge will work.

1/2 tsp of finely chopped herbs of your choice. I’ve used thyme here but your favourite will be delicious too.

Cheese, I’ve used half a wheel of leftover Brie. A handful of grated cheddar, dobs of goats cheese, or crumbled feta will also work beautifully. Or again you can mix it up and use up leftovers

Method:

Preheat oven to 190c. Grease a 35cm rectangular tart tin or 26cm round tart tin.

Line prepared tin with thawed frozen pastry happily patchworking where needed. It’s ‘rustic’ remember.

Layer fresh spinach leaves on the bottom of the case. Drop spoonfuls of onion jam over the spinach.

Beat eggs and milk/cream/sour cream together with herbs. Pour over the spinach and jam. Lay slices of cheese on top and pop in the oven for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes turn oven down to 180.

Serve warm or cold.

Notes:

*This recipe is great to use up the left over bits from yesterday’s cheese platter so long as they’ve not been sitting in the sun for too long.

*If you don’t have onion jam you can slowly caramelise a small, sliced onion over very low heat until translucent and soft a little oil and biter. For the last few minutes add 1 tbs of balsamic vinegar and half a tsp of sugar stir and dissolve sugar for a few minutes and cool slightly before using. 

*You can also use platter condiments like quince paste or the like in place of the onion jam.

*The pictured tart has prosciutto added. If you have some similar sliced meat you’d like to add do so before pouring over the egg mixture.

Roasted Pumpkin & Eggplant Salad with Miso Dressing

As the sun starts shining and plans for easing restrictions here in parts of Australia are shared picnics have hit the agenda. Yep they are actually on the list of eased restrictions. I actually love an outdoor get together and I love a fancy salad. One with a bit of substance and flavour and that leaves you satisfied. This salad came to me craving vegies and dreaming of a dish I love from a local café that’s quite different but first got me hooked on this unusual flavour combo that really hits the spot for me. The sweetness of pumpkin with all the different textures bound in the miso dressing is a unique and tasty blend that pairs well with white meat and seafood me. You can serve it warm or cold and as such you can transport or store the roasted veg separately and assemble everything on location or when you’re ready to serve.

I hope you enjoy it and you can add it to your picnic repertoire for the coming summer.

Ingredients:

3 C cubed pumpkin

3 C cubed eggplant (chopped slightly larger than the pumpkin)

2 handuls of baby spinach leaves

1 small can of chickpeas (or pulse of your choice, lentils and white beans work well)

2 Tbs sliced or slivered almonds

Dressing;

1 Tbs white miso

1 tbs mirin

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp water (or enough to loosen the dressing to a thick pouring consistency)

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c.

Cut eggplant into generous sized cubes and soak in a mix of 1 litre of water and 1 generous pinch of salt. This is a Japanese method that has magical powers to soften the flavour of the eggplant and, in my opinion softens the skin and maintains the texture of the vegetable. I now use every time I’m roasting eggplant. Leave this for up to half an hour while you potter about getting everything else ready

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar shake well, refrigerate.

Cut up the pumpkin in slightly smaller cubes. This will help them cook for the same time.

Drain and dry the eggplant toss and together with a good glug of olive oil and spread out on a shallow tray. Bake for 30 mins tossing half way through.

When veg is cooked remove from oven and allow to cool slightly while you assemble.

Drain and rinse chickpeas.

Starting with a layer of spinach spread out on your plate a layer of top with half the veg and chickpeas. Repeat first layer, drizzle over the dressing to taste and sprinkle over the almonds and a good grind of fresh black pepper.

Notes:

As listed the salad serves 4 as a side on its own, 6 with other sides or 2-3 as a main.

If pulses aren’t your thing just increase the eggplant and pumpkin. It’s still delicious without them.

You can really use whatever pulse is your favourite.

Drizzle the dressing lightly to start. It can be rich for some and you can always add more but cant subtract.

If you’re taking this to a picnic you can easily assemble on location. Don’t dress until ready to serve.

Express Paella

Try though I may to be organised I’m resigned to the fact menu planning is not my forte. I’m more often than not driven by what I feel like on the day, what time allows and what’s in the fridge. Now before you stop me, I know…it’s chicken and egg. If I planned, the fridge would be full of the ingredients I need. But if I did that I might not feel like what’s on the menu…See my dilemma.

It’s from this laissez faire approach to the second half of the day that many of my recipes are born. I frequently have a craving for things that aren’t last minute friendly such as Paella. I mean it’s just rice and a few tasty things right? How time consuming can that be? Well it would seem quite consuming in the late arvo when you’re clearing the bench of laundry folding trying to figure out how to come up with something different and tasty. But my friends, my Express Paella is actually pretty easy to pull together without too much fuss. Now full disclaimer I don’t for a moment pretend that this is an authentic version of the Spanish classic and may indeed make the toes curl of any Spanish readers but I do promise it will satisfy the craving and you’ll feel pretty fancy pulling something together on a week night that you may normally overlook at the end of a busy day. A pan of this is a brilliant side to anything straight off the BBQ, especially chicken or sausages and can be adapted to include seafood easily just like the more time consuming traditional version.

Ok let’s get started!

Ingredients:

1 Spanish Onion finely sliced (because that’s quicker than chopping but if you prefer chopped go for it)

2 Cloves of garlic finely diced or crushed (again keep it simple)

½ tsp smoked sweet paprika

Pinch of saffron

1 Red capsicum chopped into large chunks

½ tsp of finely chopped chilli or to taste.

1 C Calasparra rice or Abrorio. Whatever is available.

1 Tb each of butter and extra virgin olive oil

1 400 gm Can of Cherry tom (or whatever’s in the pantry)

2 C chicken stock (I buy premade in long life cartons. I get through it in a week and it tastes just a little better, however stock powder made up into two cups is also fine)

1 C frozen peas

1 Spring Onion (shallot) sliced

1 handful continental parsley chopped roughly

Lemon wedges to serve

 Method:

On a medium to low heat saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until translucent not browned. Add the capsicum and cook until just starting to soften but not as much as the onion. Add the paprika and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Melt the butter, then add the rice and saffron to the pan and swish around to coat with the butter and oil like you would for a risotto. Stir through tomatoes and stock and distributing everything evenly. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer (low heat) and cover, cook for 15 minutes. No stirring or peeking! Without disturbing the rice, sprinkle over the peas and cook, replace lid and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle over parsley and spring onions and serve with lemon wedges.

Variations:

~Pop some mussels on top with the peas to steam and open for the last five minutes.

~Slice and fry off 1 chorizo with the onion.

~BBQ some prawns to sprinkle on top with the parsley and spring onion.

Brown Butter Chai Cake

Simple butter, sugar and vanilla mingling together really are the very best of friends and often keeping it simple and letting these three ingredients shine in baking makes the best of comfort foods. But we all know there’s an encyclopaedic collection of variations on that theme right?  I mean seriously we could fill a whole internet on the many ways to combine these three key elements and methods by which to create that squishy goodness. One of my favourites is the classic melt and mix. Its quick, easy and always your best friend when you’re in a rush to feed hungry hoards. It’s also a brilliant base to work from. My favourite is Brown Butter Chai Cake. Now I concede browning the butter is adding a step and taking half a step back from easy. If the mere suggestion of browning butter has you rolling your eyes fear not you could skip this step and the cake will still be delicious, but I do urge to try just once. I won’t bore you with the how when it comes to browning butter but you can watch this if you need some help with that. My favourite Chai is from Grounded Pleasures. You can check out their full range here. 

Adding the sweet spicy concoction of good quality chai creates a rich hearty variation.

Simple butter, sugar and vanilla mingling together really are the very best of friends and often keeping it simple and letting these three ingredients shine in baking makes the best of comfort foods. But we all know there’s an encyclopaedic collection of variations on that theme right?  I mean seriously we could fill a whole internet on the many ways to combine these three key elements and methods by which to create that squishy goodness. One of my favourites is the classic melt and mix. Its quick, easy and always your best friend when you’re in a rush to feed hungry hoards. It’s also a brilliant base to work from. My favourite is Brown Butter Chai Cake. Now I concede browning the butter is adding a step and taking half a step back from easy. If the mere suggestion of browning butter has you rolling your eyes fear not you could skip this step and the cake will still be delicious, but I do urge to try just once. If  I won’t bore you with the 'how' when it comes to browning butter but you can check how here if you need some help with that. My favourite Chai is from Grounded Pleasures. You can browse out their full range here.

Ingredients:
150 gm butter melted and browned
1 1/2 (225) C self raising flour
200 gm golden caster sugar *
1 vanilla bean scraped pod discarded or 1 Tsp extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs lightly beaten
2/3 cup buttermilk **
2 Tb chai powder ( I use Grounded Pleasures)

Spiced Sugar:
1/4 C icing sugar (powder sugar)
1/4 tsp  each of ginger and cinnamon or your own faves such as a pinch of cardamon or allspice.

Method:
Preheat oven to 180c, grease and line a loaf or 20cm round spring form pan.

Brown butter and allow to cool to room temperature.
In a mixer bowl combine all dry ingredients and give a quick stir with a whisk to ensure everything is evenly mixed through. 
Add all wet ingredients and mix in stand mixer on low-medium until combing then in creased speed to high and mix for 1-2 minutes or until fluffy and lighter in colour. Pour into prepared pan and bake 40-45 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool in tin for five minutes then turn out or release from springform and cool on rack.

I've served with a spiced sugar to keep things simple but you might like a simple orange flavoured icing or even a cream cheese frosting.


*I've used paneela sugar from Grounded Pleasures here (I may or may not have had a little shopping spree and had lots to play with  not sponsored). Golden CS adds an extra caramel characteristic however if you only have white that will work just fine.
**If you don't have buttermilk you can make your own by adding half a tsp of lemon to the 2/3 C of regular milk and allow it to sit while you get organised.

What’s Your Thing?

There’s a bazillion articles online about women and mums carving out time and space for themselves. They’re all true and someone’s truth, perhaps even yours and mine in parts or indeed as a whole. One thing rings true through all and is a common thread…the importance of finding that thing that drives you, honouring that thing and making time for your thing and therefore yourself.

Now we all have a ‘thing’ and some of us have a few ‘things’ and some of us are on a search for our thing but one thing is ultimately true, we all need a thing. A ‘thing’ drives you, it gives you passion and provides a metaphorical space for you to inhabit when you’re practicing your thing. What is a thing I hear you say? It’s that hobby or interest that you crave time for, that distracts you when you think about it, that creates inner ambitions that secretly, or not so secretly, hide within you. Sometimes they’re the thing that helps you get out of bed in the morning, that balance the mundane and sometimes they’re the thing that you covet, that are your dreams of a different day to day.

I’ve always loved having hobbies, some have been fleeting and some have been lifelong passions. The two driving passions, or ‘things’ that inhabit me daily, are cooking and photography. I’m always dreaming of or dreaming up my next meal and always imagining different images I want to create. My two loves offer me opportunities to escape, thrive and have some me time….aside from the daily cooking though, even that is rarely mundane. Combining the two has brought me great joy and ambition and as with many fields of endeavour, names and people I admire and who inspire me. One of whom is Sophie Hansen and her beautiful blog Local is Lovely. Sophie also runs workshops and courses at her online business My Open Kitchen, workshops I’d coveted and dreamt of attending in her hometown of Orange NSW. I’d promised myself if the stars ever aligned I would swoop in and seize the opportunity to attend. I’d thought I’d missed the boat with Sophie’s in person gatherings when she announced a hiatus to work on her second glorious book, A Basket by the Door. But then just like a Christmas miracle at the end of 2018 Sophie announced a dream team gathering, Tessa Kiros, Emiko Davies, Luisa Brimble and of course her gorgeous self. with my bags and camera packed I journeyed to the Central West with a small group of interesting fabulous women all pursuing their own passion and dreams. It’s here with these gorgeous souls we inhaled all the knowledge and creativity offered and drew on each others stories to build our own.

It's as I launch my website and reflect on that weekend through the lens of the crazy year that 2020 has been I’m inspired by the women I met there, both participants and presenters. So with a life’s too short attitude I look forward to where I hope my ‘thing’ will take me.