Tag Archives: starter

Spicy Tomato & Eggplant Soup

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This soup is quick, easy and satisfying. I invented it one day when I had a friend coming for lunch and one lonely eggplant sitting in the fridge. I put it in a hot oven and let it cook while I did something else. The final mixing and reheating takes less than 10 minutes.

While the subtle flavour of the eggplant is somewhat overpowered by the tomato, it provides a nice texture. The peanut butter, garlic and chilli add an Asian touch to the flavour combination.  I’ve made the recipe with both crunchy and smooth peanut butter and while they’re both nice I prefer the creamier result you get with the smooth variety. But If you’ve only got crunchy I wouldn’t go out and buy a jar specially.

Spicy Eggplant and Tomato Soup1 large eggplant
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 jar tomato passata (about 500ml)
2 cups water (and maybe a bit more)
1 tsp sugar
1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
3 Tbs peanut butter
½ a small red chilli, seeds removed (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To serve:
Thick Greek yoghurt
fresh coriander, chopped
fresh bread or toast

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Pierce eggplant a couple of times with a knife, so it doesn’t explode in the oven. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until it feels soft when you squeeze it. Halve eggplant and scrape out the flesh into a food processor, discarding skin.

Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Tip into a saucepan and heat to boiling point. Check seasoning and add a bit more water if necessary to make desired consistency. This will depend on how big your eggplant was.

Ladle into soup bowls and top each serving with a dollop of sour cream or yoghurt and chopped coriander. Serve with fresh Turkish or sourdough bread or toast.

Serves 4

 

Smoked Trout Salad with Tamarind Dressing

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Whole smoked trout are sold in supermarkets in Australia in vacuum packs. The use by date allows you to keep them for a week or two in the fridge before they need to be eaten. Handy for those occasions when you peer into the fridge thinking “What can I make for dinner with what I’ve got?” One smoked trout is enough to make a light meal for two or three people.

Carefully remove the flesh in large chunks, discarding the skin and bones. Mix with freshly cooked pasta, adding a splash of cream and a few capers or chopped dill. Some halved baby tomatoes or rocket leaves are optional additions. Or try this delicious risotto.

Or make this Asian salad which is perfect as a starter for four or a light main dish for two.

Smoked Trout Salad with Asian Dressing

Tamarind Dressing:
3 spring onions or small shallots
1 clove garlic
½ small red chilli, seeded and chopped
2 Tbs roasted peanuts or cashews
1 Tbs fish sauce
1 Tbs tamarind paste (sold in jars)
3 Tbs water
3 Tbs palm sugar, chopped, or substitute brown sugar
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
Salad:
1 smoked trout, flesh removed, bones and skin discarded
2-3 cups small salad leaves or rocket
1 Tbs finely diced fresh lime (skin and flesh) (optional)
2 Tbs roasted peanuts or cashews, coarsely chopped
½ cup coriander leaves
Extra virgin olive oil

Dressing: Place spring onions or shallots, garlic, chilli and peanuts in food processor and process until you have a paste. Add remaining dressing ingredients and process, stopping to scrape down the sides halfway. Place paste in a saucepan and simmer for 3-4 minutes. It should be thick and a bit sticky. You may need to add a bit more water to get the right consistency. Cool.

Meanwhile arrange salad leaves on two plates. Top with the trout pieces, lime, peanuts and coriander leaves. Top each piece of smoked trout with some of the sauce, then drizzle a little olive oil around the edge of the plate.

Any leftover dressing is delicious served with cold roast meats.

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a starter

Note: some supermarkets sell smoked trout fillets without skin or bones.

Variation: to serve as finger food, separate the leaves of 2 heads of chicory (witloof or witlof) and top each with a piece of smoked trout, the remaining toppings and some of the dressing.

Halloumi with Rhubarb Sauce

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We had this dish when we were travelling in Poland several years ago. As we grow rhubarb in our garden I made a mental note to recreate it, but then I forgot about it.
I was cleaning out the freezer in our garage this morning. A good weekend activity which doesn’t get done very often. I found all sorts of things I had forgotten about, including a container of cooked rhubarb.
So I added a few things to it, including half a cup of frozen raspberries and came up with a delicious lunch for two, as close to the Polish version as I can remember.
The raspberries are not essential, but they do give the sauce a better colour. You will have enough sauce to make this recipe two or three times. Any leftover sauce will keep in the fridge for several days or can be frozen.
Rhubarb Sauce:
2 cups rhubarb, chopped
½ cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
½ cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbs honey
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
For the Halloumi:
225g packet halloumi, sliced 1cm thick
1 Tbs olive oil
To serve:
Rocket leaves|
Extra virgin olive oil

Fresh herbs
Cracked black pepper
For the sauce, place all ingredients in a large saucepan and cook over moderate heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring often, or until thick and chunky. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Dry the halloumi on paper towels then cook on both sides in the olive oil in a nonstick frying pan, until golden brown.Serve the halloumi on a bed of rocket leaves. Top with some of the rhubarb sauce and garnish with fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and some cracked pepper.

Serves 2 as a light lunch or starter
Variations: use pitted red plums, chopped, instead of rhubarb.

Lithuanian Pink Soup

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The proper name for this delicious cold beetroot soup is Šaltibarščiai which means cold beets in Lithuanian. My Lithuanian friend Jurate who gave me the recipe says most people call it Pink Soup. It’s a creamier version of the well-known beetroot soup called Borscht.

If you have time, cook your own beetroots, but ready-cooked beetroots from the supermarket work well and save time.

This soup is perfect for a hot summer’s day. Serve it as a starter or, with the addition of boiled new potatoes, as a main course. Jurate serves hardboiled eggs separately in a bowl, for guests to peel and chop onto their soup, if they like. My husband is not a big fan of hardboiled eggs and prefers the soup without the egg, so you choose.

Delicious and very refreshing on a warm summer’s evening.
500g cooked, peeled beetroots
600 ml buttermilk or kefir (see note below)
2 stock cubes dissolved in a little hot water (chicken, vegetable)
Cider vinegar and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 small Lebanese cucumbers, thickly sliced and halved or quartered
Optional extras for serving:
Fresh crusty bread such as sourdough and butter
Hardboiled eggs, one per person
Boiled new potatoes, served hot

 

Grate beetroots coarsely and mix them with the buttermilk or kefir and the stock cubes. Add a splash of cider vinegar and some black pepper, to taste. If you’re in a hurry, with no time to grate the beetroots, just whiz them in a blender or food processor. If necessary adjust the thickness of the soup by adding more buttermilk, kefir, yoghurt or water. I didn’t find it needed any additional salt, but taste and see what you think. Add a tablespoon or two of cider vinegar, to taste.

Chill for several hours. Serve in bowls garnished with the cucumber chunks, the dill and the hardboiled eggs, halved or chopped. Or serve the eggs in a separate bowl for people to help themselves and peel themselves. Serve with crusty bread and, if you want to make a more substantial meal, buttered steamed new potatoes.

Serves 6

Note: instead of buttermilk or kefir, you can use 400ml of thick plain yoghurt thinned down with about 200ml water.

Fig Jam

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Serve this jam, which is made with dried figs, on a cheese board. It goes well with most cheeses. It also pairs well with pâté, ham and chicken. Serve it in sandwiches or in this easy chicken recipe, instead of marmalade. A jar also makes a nice gift, if you can bear to part with any.

Serve a dollop on Greek yoghurt, or as a topping for baked brie. It also makes an unusual filling for scones, with or without whipped cream.

Last time we were holidaying in France I bought a few cans of pâté de foie gras. I served some recently as a starter, with a mini onion quiche and some brioche toast fingers.

500g dried figs, stems removed
2 cups sugar
3 cups water
¾ cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs lemon juice

Cut each fig into quarters and place in a large saucepan with a heavy bottom. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Use a stick blender to puree the jam. Or tip it into a blender or food processor and process using the pulse butter. You want a chunky not smooth finish. Tip the jam back into the saucepan. If you used a stick blender you can do that in the pan. Continue to simmer the jam for 5-10 minutes or until thickened. It will thicken more when it cools. If it gets too thick, add a little water.

Meanwhile wash and dry several small jam jars. Place them in a microwave (without the lids) and zap them for 2-3 minutes on high. When the jam is ready, tip it into the hot jars, then screw the lids on and store them in a dark cupboard.

Note: while balsamic vinegar gives a nice flavour, if you don’t have any substitute another vinegar such as sherry, red wine or cider.

 

 

 

 

Baked Pears with Blue Cheese, Walnuts & Honey

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This year we have our first crop of pears. A delicious way to use pears when you can’t eat any more fresh is to bake them. This savoury baked dish makes a great starter or light meal, served with a rocket salad.

3 pears (some of mine were smaller so I used 4)
2-3 tsp olive oil
50g creamy blue cheese (e.g. Gorgonzola)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
3-4 stalks fresh thyme, leaves removed and roughly chopped
1-2 Tbs honey
½ tsp Aleppo pepper (available from specialty shops)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Thyme sprigs to garnish

Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut pears in half lengthwise and remove core and seeds with a melon baller. Place in a baking dish in one layer, cut sides up. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then turn them over. Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn the pears over, so they are cut side up and stuff with the blue cheese, walnuts and thyme. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Drizzle with the honey and sprinkle with the Aleppo pepper. The Aleppo pepper is not essential, but it adds a bit of extra colour and flavour. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve with a lightly dressed rocket salad.

Serves 3

Salmon with Shaved Beetroot & Avocado

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This colourful salmon dish will appeal to beetroot fans. Serve it as a light but satisfying main course for two or a starter for four. 

2 portions salmon (350-400g)
1 rounded Tbs each salt and sugar
1 medium beetroot
2 small avocados (or one large one)
Olive oil, Lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs snipped chives
Balsamic glaze

Place salmon in a plastic container with a lid. Add the salt and sugar and turn to coat. Cover with the lid and refrigerate for a day or two, turning 2 or 3 times. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Salmon can be wrapped in plastic wrap at this stage and frozen for up to a month. Thaw to use in this recipe. Remove and discard skin and cut salmon into 1cm dice. Add olive oil and lemon juice to taste.

Peel beetroot then shave thinly using a mandoline slicer, or the thin slicing attachment on a food processor. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, separating the slices so each one is well-coated. Arrange beetroot on 4 individual serving plates in an overlapping circle, leaving a space in the middle for the avocado.

Peel avocado and mash with a fork, adding salt, olive oil, lemon juice and pepper to taste. Divide between the four plates, piling into the middle. Top with the salmon, then garnish with the chives, balsamic glaze and freshly ground pepper.

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a light main dish

Baked Figs with Creamy Goat Cheese & Honey

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Fresh figs are only in season for a very short time. We have a tree and the figs are ripening a few at a time which is good, so we don’t have to eat them all in one week. This is a delicious starter for four or a light lunch for two with a side salad.

4 fresh figs
4 heaped tsp creamy goat cheese
Runny honey
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Fresh herbs and cracked pepper

Wash and dry the figs. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut through the figs from the top, cutting them into quarters but stopping halfway so they’re still attached at the bottom. Arrange in a small heatproof dish, lightly oiled. Stuff each fig with about a heaped teaspoon of creamy goat cheese. I use the Aldi spreadable goat cheese in a little pot.

Drizzle a little honey over the figs. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is just starting to colour.

Arrange figs on serving plate, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and garnish with herbs and pepper.

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a light lunch

Variations: use a creamy blue cheese instead of goat cheese and wrap a piece of prosciutto around each fig.

 

 

 

Fennel, Blood Orange & Goat Cheese Salad

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Blood oranges are only in season for a short time and are hard to find in Canberra where I live. I’ve planted a tree and am waiting patiently to pick some fruit. Our back courtyard is very protected, providing a little mediterranean oasis. We have an olive tree, a lime, a lemon and a cumquat tree, all growing happily and producing lots of fruit.

Every year in late April we pick about 80 kilos of olives. These come from our tree and a friend’s tree. They don’t bother to harvest their olives and are happy for us to pick them. To be perfectly honest, Matthew picks the olives so I can’t claim any credit. He then takes them to a man who produces olive oil commercially. A couple of days later we pick up about seven one-litre bottles of extra virgin olive oil, which is truly amazing and keeps for at least a year. We only use it for dipping, drizzling and making salad dressings. It’s too good to cook with.

Recently I found some blood oranges in a shop called Harris Farm in Bowral, a couple of hours drive from Canberra, when I happened to be passing through. It’s a fabulous shop and I was delighted to learn they are opening a branch in Canberra near IKEA some time this year.

This recipe, pairing citrus with fennel, is light, summery and delicious. If you can’t find blood oranges use ordinary oranges or one pink grapefruit instead.

1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced with a mandoline (save a few fronds for garnish)
2 blood oranges, segments removed, peel and pith discarded
1 handful rocket leaves
100g goat cheese (or creamy feta)
Dressing:
1 Tbs white wine or cider vinegar
2 tsp orange or lemon juice
5 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp honey or maple syrup
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
Garnish:
3 Tbs walnut or pecan halves
1-2 tsp maple syrup
A few mint leaves if available

Place all ingredients for dressing in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously. For the garnish, place nuts in a small frying pan and drizzle with the maple syrup. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, for a couple of minutes or until glazed then cool.

Mix fennel with some of the dressing then divide between two serving plates. Tuck some rocket leaves here and there, then arrange the orange segments and the cheese, broken into small pieces, on top. Garnish with the nuts and the mint leaves. Drizzle remaining dressing around the edge of the salad and arrange a couple of fennel fronds on top.

Serves 2

Salmon, Preserved Lemon & Cucumber on Cauliflower Cream

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This dish was inspired by a starter we were served at a black tie dinner at the Commonwealth Club in Canberra. It was created by Executive Chef, Mr Karl Krautler.

Karl used salmon confit while I used home-made salmon gravlax. I added some pickled radish slices and a few pink peppercorns and made larger servings to serve as a light main course. This quantity is enough for two light mains or four starters.

There’s a recipe on this blog for Gravlax which you can use in this dish – slice thickly then cut into small cubes. Or use what I call my quick Gravlax. Just buy between two and four salmon portions (preferably without skin) and put them in a plastic container with a tablespoonful each of sugar and salt and maybe a small slug of gin or vodka (optional). Refrigerate for 2-3 days, turning once or twice, then pat dry, wrap with clingfilm and use within a day or so or freeze. Very useful for all sorts of dishes, including canapés.

1 small cauliflower or ½ large
2-3 Tbs cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
250-300g cubed salmon Gravlax (see above for link)
1 Lebanese cucumber, half the peel removed (if preferred remove it all)
¼ preserved lemon
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2-4 tsp lemon or lime juice, to taste
Sliced pickled radishes (see note below)
2-3 tsp pink peppercorns
A few micro-herbs or tiny rocket leaves
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Break cauliflower into florets, place in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender then drain and blend in food processor with the cream and seasoning.

When cool spread some cauliflower cream on two serving plates (or four if doing starters). Discard pulp from the preserved lemon, then finely dice the skin. Mix with the salmon, oil and lemon juice. Arrange the salmon evenly over the cauliflower cream, then decorate with the cucumber (seeds removed, cut into chunks), radish slices (whole or halved), pink peppercorns and micro-herbs. Drizzle a little oil around each serving.

Serves 2-4

Pickled radishes: thinly slice 1 or 2 bunches of radishes (discarding the ends) and place in an empty jar. Heat ½ cup each sugar, water and vinegar in a saucepan with a tsp mustard seeds. Pour over the radish slices. Keep in the fridge. Give them a few days to mature before use.