Tag Archives: easy

Spinach & Ricotta Pie

Posted on by
Reply

The spinach in our veggie garden was going up to seed so we picked it all and put a couple of spinach dishes on the menu for this week.

There are lots of recipes for spinach and cheese pies, but this is mine. Easy peasy and perfect for a light dinner with a big salad on the side. We had coleslaw.

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large bunch of spinach (or a big packet of spinach leaves)
2 Tbs butter
1 egg
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese, or crumbled feta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To garnish:
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbs sesame seeds

Lightly oil a shallow rectangular baking tin which is  slightly smaller than the size of your pastry sheets. Preheat oven to 180° C. Remove spinach leaves from stalks and wash. Put the wet leaves in a saucepan, cover with a lid and cook until wilted – this won’t take long, just a few minutes. Drain spinach and place in food processor, then blitz with the butter until smooth. Place spinach puree in a bowl with the egg, ricotta and Parmesan or cheddar or feta. Mix well and season to taste.

Line baking tin with one sheet of pastry, cover evenly with the spinach filling, then cover with the second sheet. Crimp the edges and cut off or fold in any overhang (that’s what I did in the photo). Mark the pie into 6 or 8 servings by cutting through the top layer. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for about half an hour or until golden brown all over. Remove from the oven. To serve, cut right through.

Serve warm with a salad.

Serves 6-8

Mango Cheesecake

Posted on by
Reply

Looking for a dessert to serve on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day that can be made ahead, doesn’t involve turning on the oven and uses seasonal fruit? This recipe meets all the criteria.

Mangoes are at their cheapest and best in Australia at this time of year. Choose ones which are not over-ripe as they’re easier to slice thinly and curve for the decoration. If you’re in the northern hemisphere the recipe can be adapted to use strawberries or perhaps tinned peaches instead of mangoes.

To enhance the flavour of the mango and provide colour contrast, serve each slice with some fresh passionfruit pulp spooned over (not shown in photo). Or maybe instead of passionfruit serve the cheesecake with some raspberry coulis spooned over.

Mango Cheesecake

200g fresh mango flesh, puréed in food processor
¼ cup glucose syrup (also known as Corn Syrup)
1¼ cups plain sweet biscuits made into crumbs in food processor
75g butter, melted
500g cream cheese at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 Tbs grated lemon rind
2 tsp gelatine dissolved in
¼ cup boiling water, cooled
220g white chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup cream, softly whipped
To serve:
2 mangoes extra, thinly sliced
Pulp from 2 passionfruit (optional)
Thick cream to serve

Place mango purée in a saucepan with glucose syrup. Cook, stirring over a medium heat for 15 minutes or until thickened and reduced by half. Set aside to cool.

Combine biscuit crumbs and butter and press evenly over the base of a 20-22 cm springform pan. In food processor or by hand beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon rind until smooth. Mix in gelatine mixture and melted chocolate, then fold in the whipped cream. Pour filling over biscuit base. Spoon over mango mixture and swirl through the white mixture using the tip of a knife, smoothing the top. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Serve decorated with fresh mango slices and, if liked, some passionfruit pulp. Serve thick pouring cream separately.

Serves 12

Variations: use peaches, apricots or berries instead of the mangoes. Pulp in the filling and sliced fruit or whole berries to decorate. For a Ginger Mango Cheesecake use ginger nut biscuits for the crust and mix 2-3 Tbs finely chopped crystallised ginger into the filling.

Festive Dipping Oil

Posted on by
Reply

Served with warm crusty bread this recipe is a real crowd pleaser, perfect for the holiday season. And it takes less than ten minutes to make.

Leftovers can be served on grilled salmon or chicken and it also makes a delicious topping for scrambled eggs.  Crispy chill oil, an optional addition, comes in a jar and can be found in most Australian supermarkets. I reckon you’ll be making double the recipe next time.

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs dried cranberries, chopped
1 Tbs dried apricots, chopped
2 Tbs pistachios, chopped
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbs rosemary leaves, chopped
1 Tbs sage leaves, chopped
1 Tbs crispy chilli oil, or to taste (optional)
Grated rind of 1 orange
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
A good pinch of salt
To serve:
Warm crusty bread such as focaccia (photo shows toasted Turkish bread)

Mix all the ingredients together, then spread out on a shallow serving dish and surround with fresh or toasted bread.

Any leftover will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator in a covered container.

 

 

 

Hobz biz-zejt

Posted on by
Reply

This recipe comes from Maltese-Australian chef Mark Mizzi whose restaurant and wedding venue Nanna’s Place has been serving delicious Mediterranean dishes since it opened in South Melbourne in 2018.

Hobz biz-zejt is a traditional Maltese sandwich which translates as bread with oil. But it’s much more than that. Indeed, there are so many ingredients, that when it’s ready to serve it looks more like a “burger with the lot” than a sandwich. For this reason, I haven’t put quantities: it’s basically a question of what you can fit in! An optional extra is to mash a clove of garlic into the olive oil. Sun-dried tomatoes and local cheese are also sometimes added.

Nanna’s bake their own traditional Maltese bread called Ftira, but any fresh bread – preferably sourdough – can be used. Going to Malta on holiday? This satisfying snack can be enjoyed all over the island.

1 large, crusty bread roll (size of a burger bun) or 10-15cm of baguette
Extra virgin olive oil
Tomato paste
Canned tuna, drained
Anchovies in oil drained (optional)
Diced or sliced raw onion
Diced or sliced tomatoes
Chopped parsley
Capers
Sliced pitted olives
A few canned white beans, drained (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cut the roll or piece of baguette in two, horizontally.  Drizzle both sides with olive oil then spread a thin layer of tomato paste on both halves. Add the remaining ingredients in layers. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil. Place the lid on top, cut the sandwich in two and stick a toothpick with a whole pitted olive in the top of each half, as decoration.

If preferred, divide the filling between the two sides and make open sandwiches. They’re a bit easier to eat.

Serves one

Rice Paper and Nori Crisps with Gravlax

Posted on by
Reply

These homemade rice paper and nori two-bite crisps are the perfect way to serve gravlax, smoked salmon or trout. They’re also quite tasty as a snack on their own. Easy peasy to make and so light.

4 sheets rice paper spring roll sheets
4 sheets nori (the ones used to wrap sushi)
Vegetable oil to fry
Gravlax (bought or home made) or smoked salmon or trout
Sour cream
Fresh parsley or coriander

Place rice paper sheets on a kitchen surface. Spray all over with water then lay a sheet of nori on top of each one so they stick together. Use scissors to cut each one into four. Heat 2-3cm oil in a small frying pan. Fry each square of rice paper/nori in the oil, rice paper side down and turning to cook the other side. They will cook in just a few seconds. Remove and drain on paper towels. If serving the crisps on their own, you might like to sprinkle them with some sea salt at this stage.

Cut gravlax or smoked salmon or trout into small pieces and arrange on the crisps. Top with a blob of sour cream and some parsley or coriander to garnish.

 

Makes 16

Crunchy Granola

Posted on by
Reply

Are you a cereal or a toast person? Or perhaps you have both for breakfast.

I’ve always been a cereal person and like to eat a combination of fresh fruit and plain, Greek yoghurt. topped with some crunchy granola, Lately I’ve also been adding a dollop of chia seeds, soaked overnight in milk.

Unfortunately, the granola you buy in supermarkets is mostly made up of oats and far too sweet. The ones that contain more interesting ingredients and less sugar tend to be quite expensive.

For the past few years I’ve been making my own granola and it’s so easy. You basically mix all the dry ingredients with some olive oil and a sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup, spread it out on a couple of baking trays lined with paper and bake for 30-45 minutes. Once you’ve made a batch you’ll wonder why it took you so long to do so.

The two big pluses with making your own is that you can use only ingredients you like and add as much sweetener as you want. Or leave the sweetener out altogether. And definitely no salt.

The quantities in this recipe are flexible and there’s no need for accurate measuring. Start with the oats, then add whatever you have on hand. Feel free to leave out anything you haven’t got – maybe put it on your shopping list so you have it for next time – or to add something different.  Matthew doesn’t like coconut, but as he’s a toast or hot porridge person I usually put it in anyway!

After a week or so, the slight moisture from the dried fruit can make the granola lose its crunch. To avoid this, keep your dried fruit mixture separately and add it to your bowl each morning. Or leave the dried fruit out altogether. The photo shows the muesli before adding the dried fruit.

If there’s only one person in your house who eats granola for breakfast, you might prefer to make half the recipe.

4 cups rolled oats
½ cup almond meal or ground flaxseeds (also called linseeds)
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
1-2 cups roughly chopped nuts (I used almonds, pecans & walnuts)
½ cup shredded coconut
3 Tbs chia seeds
3 Tbs sesame seeds
3-4 Tbs olive oil (or vegetable oil if preferred)
3-4 Tbs runny honey or maple syrup (adjust to suit your taste) or golden syrup
Dried fruit:
2-3 cups sultanas, cranberries, dried cherries, goji berries (optional)

Preheat oven to 160°C. Line two baking sheets with baking paper. For half the recipe you will only need one.

Place all ingredients, except the dried fruit, in a large bowl. Heat the olive oil and honey or maple syrup in a small saucepan until dissolved then mix in thoroughly.

Spread the granola evenly onto the baking trays and bake for 20-30 minutes. During the baking time remove the trays from the oven every 10 minutes or so and stir the granola, moving the outer edges into the middle, so it cooks evenly. When the granola is golden brown and evenly cooked remove it from the oven and cool thoroughly.

Don’t overcook or the nuts will be bitter. Mix in the dried fruit (if using) and store in a large container in the pantry. Or mix the dried fruit and store in a separate contaienr.

Makes about 8 cups

Optional additions: vanilla essence, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom

 

Roast Pumpkin with Miso & Ginger

Posted on by
Reply

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning.

Miso paste is produced by mixing fermented soybeans with salt and a fungus called Koji. Sometimes rice, parsley, seaweed or other ingredients are added. It can be used in sauces, dips, soups and other dishes to produce a rich “umami” intensity of flavour.

Miso paste is usually salty, but its flavour and aroma depend on the ingredients and fermentation process. It comes in either white or red, with the latter having a slightly stronger flavour. Use whichever one you have or can find in your local supermarket or Asian grocery store. Once opened it keeps for ages in the fridge.

Today’s recipe was inspired by a dish we were served at Raku restaurant in Canberra.

1 kg pumpkin
2 Tbs olive oil
Miso sauce:
¼ cup Miso paste
1 Tbs grated ginger
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs runny honey
1 Tbs water
2 tsp rice vinegar (or any other vinegar)
1 tsp chilli paste or sauce
To garnish:
1 Tbs sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Fresh coriander leaves

Preheat oven to 180°C. Leave skin on the pumpkin, remove seeds and cut into wedges about 2cm thick. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, in a single layer. Brush pumpkin with the olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven, turn pumpkin wedges over and brush them with the remaining olive oil. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile mix all ingredients for the Miso sauce in a food processor. Spoon over the pumpkin. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until starting to brown. It might need 15 mins. Turn the wedges over and coat them with remaining Miso sauce. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes or until nicely glazed as in the photo.

Garnish with sesame seeds and coriander. Serve hot or at room temperature either alone or with steamed rice, or as a side dish with salmon, chicken or beef.

Serves 4-6

 

Shakshuka

Posted on by
Reply

Shakshuka originated in north Africa and is now popular all over the Middle East.

Serve with toasted sourdough or Turkish bread for brunch, lunch or Sunday evening supper. You probably have all the ingredients in the pantry. We had to nip out to buy one red capsicum from the corner shop.

2 Tbs olive oil
1 red capsicum (pepper)
1 onion
2 Tbs harissa, or to taste
1 tsp chilli paste, or to taste
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
4 eggs
1 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To serve:
4 Tbs thick Greek yoghurt
1 Tbs chopped fresh coriander

Thinly slice the capsicum and onion. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized deep non-stick frying pan and cook the capsicum and onion over medium to high heat for 5-10 minutes, or until soft and starting to caramelise. Add harissa and chilli paste to taste and cook, stirring for one minute. Add the tomatoes and sugar and cook over medium heat until the tomatoes are reduced by half, stirring often.

Season to taste, turn heat down to a simmer, then make four indents in the mixture and break an egg into each. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Test by pressing with your finger.

Garnish with dollops of yoghurt and the coriander. Serve with toasted sourdough or Turkish bread.

Serves 4 as a snack, 2 as a meal

 

Japanese Salad with Sushi Flavours

Posted on by
Reply

This salad combines all the flavours we love in Japanese sushis and it’s delicious.

Serve it on steamed rice for a quick poke bowl, or on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce, lightly dressed with Kewpie toasted sesame dressing, which you can find in most Australian supermarkets. Or use the salad as a filling for sandwiches or wraps. Or just eat it as it is for a high protein, low carbs light meal.

2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks (buy a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket for ease) or 300g cooked prawn meat, coarsely chopped
1 large ripe avocado, cubed
2 Tbs lemon or lime juice
1 Tbs Kewpie mayonnaise* (or ordinary mayonnaise)
1 Tbs Thai sweet chilli sauce
2 tsp sesame seeds (preferably black)*
1 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbs pickled ginger, chopped*
1 Tbs Asian crispy shallots*
Salt to taste
2 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 Lebanese cucumber, quartered lengthwise then cut into small cubes
1 clove garlic, crushed
To garnish:
A handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 sheet nori cut into strips, then into small julienne pieces*

Place all ingredients for salad in a large bowl and mix well.

Serve garnished with the coriander and nori pieces. Serve alone, or on steamed rice or in wraps or sandwiches.

Serves 4 on rice or in wraps or 2 on its own

*if you can’t find black sesame seeds, Asian crispy shallots, pickled ginger, Kewpie mayonnaise and nori seaweed sheets in the Asian section of your supermarket, go to an Asian grocery store

Lamb with Spicy Labneh and Carrot Salad

Posted on by
Reply

This recipe was inspired by a dish I was served at the annual lunch of the International Women’s Club which was held at the Marion restaurant in Canberra in late August.

There were 180 women seated at tables for 10 and the food and service were both excellent. The main course was an alternate serve, where half had salmon with baked Jerusalem artichokes and half had sliced lamb rump on a bed of spicy labneh, with a shredded carrot salad.

This is my interpretation, but I have used lamb cutlets instead of rump. The carrot salad is delicious on it’s own or as a filler for sandwiches or wraps, or as part of a buffet.

2 cups thick Greek-style plain yoghurt
2 tsp harissa paste (or to taste)
8 lamb cutlets, trimmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Paprika
Carrot Salad:
500g carrots, cut into thin julienne or very coarsely grated
1/3 cup dried currants
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp each cinnamon, cumin and paprika
2 tsp honey (or more to taste)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To garnish:
Chopped parsley or another green herb
Balsamic Glaze (optional)

To make Labneh, strain yoghurt for a few hours or overnight in a sieve lined with muslin or a man’s handkerchief, in the fridge. Discard the liquid and mix in the harissa.

Place currants in a small bowl and add just enough warm water to cover. Leave to plump up for half an hour.

Place all ingredients for the carrot salad in a frying pan, including the currants and water, and stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the dressing has thickened a bit. The carrots should remain fairly crunchy. Meanwhile season the cutlets with salt, pepper and paprika and cook them on a hot griddle, barbecue or in an air fryer, until they are cooked the way you like them – about 3-4 minutes each side.

Divide the labneh between 4 serving places and spread into a circle. Top with some carrot salad (you will probably have leftovers) and two cutlets per person. Garnish with chopped parsley and, if liked, a drizzle of balsamic glaze around the edge of the plate.

Serves 4

Variations: if you don’t have harissa paste, any chilli paste will do.