Tag Archives: vegetarian

Warm Chickpea and Zucchini Salad

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As I ate this salad I thought of my brother, who has been a vegan for the past few years. It’s one of the most delicious vegetarian dishes I’ve eaten in a long time.

If you’ve never tried frying canned chickpeas give it a try – it elevates them to a whole new level. Instead of the zucchini you could use broccoli, cauliflower, green beans or snow peas.

The recipe serves two as a light main course or four as a side dish, accompanied by grilled chicken or steak. It would also go well with barbecued lamb. To bulk up the salad to serve more people place a layer of rocket or other salad leaves, lightly dressed with vinaigrette over the base of the serving dish, then pile the salad on top.

Warm Chickpea and Zucchini Salad3 Tbs olive oil
3-4 zucchinis (courgettes) cut into 2cm chunks
1 can chick peas, rinsed, drained and dried with paper towel
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar (see note)
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 handfuls chopped fresh mint
2 handfuls chopped fresh parsley
100g marinated goat’s cheese or feta cheese

Heat about half the oil in a frying pan and cook the zucchini, chick peas and garlic for 5-8 minutes or until softening and browning a bit. Add salt, pepper and the vinegar and continue to cook, stirring for a minute or so. Scrape out into a serving dish. In a mortar and pestle, crush the seeds. Wipe out the pan and add the remaining oil. Add the pepitas and the crushed seeds and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes or until the pepitas are starting to change colour and the pan smells fragrant. Add to the zucchini in the serving dish and mix gently. Top with the herbs and cheese and serve while still warm.

Serves 2 as a light main course

Note: I used caramelised balsamic vinegar which is a bit sweeter

The Best Guacamole

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Many years ago I tried a fabulous Guacamole at the house of a Mexican diplomat. It’s so long ago I can’t even remember her name, but she gave me the recipe and I’ve been making it ever since. I guess you’d expect a Mexican to know how to make Guacamole.

I had been making my own version for years, but this authentic recipe taught me a couple of tricks. Firstly, don’t puree the avocados – mash them roughly with a fork so they remain a bit chunky. Secondly, a dash of cumin powder works wonders, although if you don’t like cumin you can always leave it out. Another tip is not to use overripe avocados as the dip will discolour very quickly if you do.

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2 large ripe but not overripe avocados, seeded and peeled
1 very small onion, grated (or ¼ medium onion)
½ clove garlic, crushed
2-3 tsp lime juice
2-3 tsp olive oil
2 Tbs chopped coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded & diced (optional)
To serve:
Corn chips

Mash avocados roughly with a fork, then gently mix in remaining ingredients, except tomato. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Fold in tomato just before serving. Garnish with extra chopped coriander or a few pieces of tomato and serve with corn chips.

Makes 1-2 cups

Note: instead of one large tomato use 3-4 baby ones (I used baby Roma). No need to peel, just remove seeds and dice.

Balsamic Roast Potatoes

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A large bowl of roast potatoes is a good addition to a buffet table, even if everything else is cold. We have potatoes in the garden at the moment, so as I like to use what I have available I’ve been cooking a few of these versatile tubers lately.

I came across this recipe on taste.com and it’s a real winner. There’s no need to par-boil the potatoes or even peel them, so the preparation time is less than 10 minutes.

The original recipe calls for kipfler potatoes, but just use whatever you have. If you’re buying the potatoes get ones which say they’re good for baking/roasting.

Balsamic Roast Potatoes

1.5kg potatoes
500g French shallots, peeled, halved if big
1 bulb garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
3-4 rosemary sprigs broken up
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra rosemary to garnish

Preheat oven to 180°C. There’s no need to peel the potatoes unless you prefer to do so. Just scrub them and cut them into even-sized pieces – about 3cm square – and place in a large bowl with remaining ingredients. Mix well then spread out in one layer on a shallow baking tray. Bake for about 50 mins, turning twice, or until crispy, golden and cooked through. Tip into serving bowl and garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Serves 8

Pomegranate, Parsley and Risoni Salad

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This salad comes from a Greek cook book called Taking you Home. I’ve tweaked the quantities a bit – the original recipe has 2 cups of risoni – but apart from that it’s pretty much the same.

Serve with roast lamb or chicken, grilled lamb chops, or as part of a buffet.

Pomegranate, Parsley and Risoni Salad

1 cup Risoni (rice-shaped pasta)
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
¼ cup slivered almonds
About 1 cup pomegranate kernels (see note below)
1 cup chopped parsley
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 400g can lentils, drained and rinsed
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs lemon juice
100g feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook risoni in boiling salted water until al dente. Place pumpkin seeds and almonds in a dry frying pan and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until lightly toasted. Drain risoni and place in a bowl with remaining ingredients, saving some of the feta to put on top.

Serves 6

Note: remove seeds from 1 large pomegranate or buy fresh kernels, which I found in Costco in a three pack. I used one and froze the other two as they freeze well.

Chilled Almond Soup

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We’ve all tried Gazpacho, but this traditional Spanish chilled soup, made with almonds and garnished with delicate slivers of fresh grapes, is less well-known. The first time I tried it was at a Spanish cooking demonstration hosted by my friend Jill. Sometimes it’s known as White Gazpacho.

You could be forgiven for thinking it has a lot of cream in it, but the creaminess comes entirely from the almonds. The perfect way to kick off lunch on a hot summer’s day.

Chilled Almond Soup1 cup milk (or soy or almond milk)
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup blanched almonds (or raw unsalted cashews)
1 tin cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
2 tsp white wine or white balsamic vinegar
A few red grapes
Coarsely ground black pepper

If you have time soak the almonds in the milk for several hours or overnight, then drain, keeping the milk.

Place three of the garlic cloves in a saucepan with the milk and simmer for 10 mins or until soft. Tip into a blender with remaining clove of garlic and the rest of the ingredients except the grapes. Blend until smooth, although this soup does have a nutty texture, so it won’t be completely smooth. You could sieve it, but you would lose a lot. Chill soup for several hours or overnight.

To serve, check for seasoning and if too thick add a little extra milk. Serve garnished with thin slices of grapes and some cracked pepper.

Serves 4

Gluten-free Christmas Pudding

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Christmas puddings keep for months and improve with age, so I usually make them in October or November. One for the family and a couple of smaller ones to give to friends. I collect pudding bowls in second hand stores for this purpose.

In cooler climates you can store them in the pantry, but in Australia I prefer to keep them in a second fridge we have in the garage. Sometimes I make two large puddings and keep one to serve at a “Christmas in July” dinner party. And if that doesn’t happen the second pudding will still be delicious the following Christmas, more than 12 months after it was made!

I decided to adapt my traditional recipe to make it gluten-free. Still perfectly nice for everyone, but suitable for a growing percentage of the population who don’t tolerate gluten. A food processor makes quick work of the breadcrumbs, grated apple, chopped figs and pureed orange. Some people don’t like mixed peel and glacé cherries, so I have included substitutions for these.

The number of puddings you end up with from this recipe depends on the size of the bowls – two big ones, or one big one and two small ones, or four small ones. This year I doubled this recipe and ended up with 8 puddings of various sizes as you can see in the photo.

Gluten-free Christmas Pudding150g currants
200g dried figs, stalks removed then chopped
200g sultanas
200g raisins
60g dried mixed peel or dried apricots, chopped
60g glace cherries or dried sour cherries
60g blanched slivered almonds (or walnuts or macadamias)
2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored & grated
½ tsp salt
1 tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
350g gluten-free bread made into crumbs in food processor
4 eggs, beaten
150-200g dark brown sugar
½ cup brandy or rum
1 cup gluten-free beer or sherry
1 Tbs black treacle
250g unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 orange, blitzed in food processor, skin and all
Brandy Butter to serve

Place all the ingredients in a very large bowl and mix well. Choose 2 to 4 pudding bowls, depending on size, grease lightly then fill with pudding mixture. They don’t rise much so bowls can be filled almost to the top.

Cover puddings with buttered baking paper, butter side down, and tie down with string. Steam puddings (see below) for about 5 hours or until evenly browned. Cool then cover with a fresh piece of baking paper or wrap in foil and store in the fridge.

Steaming the puddings: If you have a very large stock-making saucepan you can steam two puddings at the same time, one on top of the other. Place a metal trivet or an upturned saucer in the bottom of the pan, then the first pudding, then an upturned side plate and then the second pudding. Pour hot water in to come halfway up the bottom pudding. Hopefully everything fits and you can put the lid on. If not use two pans, or make half the recipe and just one pudding. Turn on the heat and let the water simmer for 5 hours, topping up from time to time as necessary.

The other way to steam puddings is in the oven. Choose a deep roasting pan into which the puddings all fit. Pre-heat oven to 150°C. Place bowls in roasting pan. Pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the bowls. Cover the entire roasting pan with foil and crimp it under to seal. You may need two pieces if it’s not very wide. Place in the oven for 5 hours. Check after 2  hours and top up the water as necessary.

To serve, steam puddings again for 2-3 hours and serve with Brandy Butter.

Makes 2-4 puddings

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Seed Bread

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I love dense, nutty, chunky bread and this recipe, adapted from  Adventure Bread by Josey Baker, ticks all the boxes.

It’s gluten-free and dairy-free. Feel free to substitute similar ingredients, but don’t omit the psyllium husks (sold in most supermarkets or health food stores) because it acts as a binder, taking the place of the gluten found in wheat flour.

While you can eat this bread as it is, I think it’s much nicer toasted, with honey, jam or cheese. Toasted and buttered with a smear of vegemite and a slice of Swiss cheese or cheddar really hits the spot for me. It’s quite filling and what I often have in the evening, when I’ve decided to skip dinner after an indulgent lunch.

Gluten-Free Seed Bread
¾ cup nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, walnuts or whatever you fancy)
1 cup sunflower seeds (hulled)
½ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/3 cup psyllium husks
2¼ cups rolled oats (gluten free oats are available)
3 Tbs chia, quinoa or sesame seeds
¾ cup flax seeds or linseeds (see note below)
2 tsp salt
2 Tbs maple syrup or honey
¼ cup olive oil
2½ cups water

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 190°C. Tip into an oiled loaf tin, push down and smooth the top. The one I use is 25x12cm and 10cm deep (approx 10x5x4 inches) which the recipe fills to within 2-3 cm of the top and as the bread doesn’t rise that’s fine. If you don’t have a big loaf tin use two smaller ones.

Bake for 40 minutes then tip the bread out of the tin and put it back in the oven on a flat tray for a further 20 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack. Wait until it’s completely cold before slicing. Can be eaten as it is, or toasted.

Loaf can be stored well-wrapped in the fridge for up to a week. As I’m the only one who eats this bread in our household, I like to slice the loaf about 1 cm or so thick, then individually wrap each slice in plastic wrap and freeze them. Toast from frozen, though they do need two goes.

Makes 1 loaf

Note: Flax seeds and Linseeds are the same thing. Known as Linseeds in Australia and Flax seeds in the USA.

Millefoglie di Melanzane

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We recently spent a week in Sicily where we hired a car and drove from Palermo to Patti, Taormina, Syracuse and back to Palermo. We spent a couple of days in each of these cities, soaking up the history and visiting some amazing churches and ancient monuments in the area. I won’t go into details of where to stay and what to do – there’s plenty of information on Trip Advisor and we found most of our accommodation on Airbnb.

Lots of windy roads and a few crazy drivers made the driving something of a challenge. The weather was considerably hotter than we had expected for mid-September, so we avoided sight-seeing in the middle of the day. Nonetheless we had a great time and would definitely recommend a trip to this part of Italy.

On the whole, the food in Sicily is good, especially if you’re a fan of pizzas and pasta. Finding good places to eat other dishes was more of a challenge. Everything we ordered which involved eggplants (aubergines) was delicious – stuffed eggplant, capponata (an Italian version of ratatouille with eggplant as the main ingredient) and eggplant fritters to name a few.

Our favourite city was Syracuse, especially the old city located on the island of Ortigia. Our favourite restaurant in Syracuse was Notre Dame where we ate outside enjoying the balmy evening weather. This bistro is run by an enthusiastic young couple and serves an interesting menu including this delectable Millefoglie di Melanzane – a layered Eggplant Terrine. It was so good we went back twice and on the second occasion the chef gave me the recipe.

Millefoglie di Melanzane

Canola or a mild-flavoured olive oil
2 large eggplants or 3 smaller ones
400g red capsicum (peppers)
2 eggs
2 sheets gelatine, soaked in water or 3 tsp powdered gelatine
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut capsicum into quarters and remove stalks and seeds. Cook in boiling, salted water for 15-20 mins or until soft. While still hot place them in a food processor with the eggs, gelatine, salt and pepper and process until smooth.

Meanwhile slice eggplants thinly lengthwise, discarding the first cut which is just skin. Heat some oil in a large frying pan and fry the eggplant slices, about 3 at a time, until golden brown and cooked on both sides. Add more oil as required. Drain on paper towels.

Choose a silicone loaf pan which doesn’t need to be lined, or line a metal one with non-stick baking paper. Starting and ending with a layer of eggplant slices, layer the eggplant and red capsicum puree in the loaf pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Using a serrated knife, cut terrine into 4-6 thick slices and serve with some lightly dressed rocket leaves.

Serves 4-6

Spinach and Roast Pumpkin Risotto

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Even when the fridge is looking pretty empty you can usually find enough ingredients to make a risotto. An onion, Arborio rice, Parmesan cheese and olive oil are essential. Then you just need one or two ingredients to be the focus of the dish.

In this recipe, istead of pumpkin and spinach try mushrooms, asparagus or zucchini (courgettes). You can also add a few prawns or some sliced chorizo, fried when you cook the onion. Optional additions include chopped fresh herbs, sundried tomatoes, a pinch of saffron. Use your imagination.Spinach and Roast Pumpkin Risotto

3 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 clover garlic, crushed
2 cups Arborio rice
500g butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
1 cup white wine
About 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water and stock cube
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4-6 cups baby spinach
To serve:
Extra virgin olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese
3-4 Tbs pine nuts, toasted

Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Mix pumpkin cubes with 1 Tbs of the oil then spread over a shallow cookie tray – lined with baking paper if you want to save the washing up – and bake for 20-30 mins or until browned and cooked.

Meanwhile in a large heavy-based saucepan heat the remaining 2 Tbs oil and gently cook onion and garlic, stirring often, for 3-5 mins or until soft but not brown. Add rice and continue to cook, stirring, for 2 mins. Gradually add wine, stock (or water and stock cube), allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. Stir frequently and keep adding liquid until rice is al dente and rice is very moist but not soupy. Add the roasted pumpkin, baby spinach and season to taste.

Serve drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil and topped with grated Parmesan and toasted pine nuts.

Serves 4

Variations: use rocket instead of spinach

Sweet Potato Soup with Cheesy Thyme Toasts

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Sweet potatoes keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. They’re great for adding to soups or casseroles and a good stand-by vegetable to serve mid-week, when you’ve run out of other options. One of my favourite ways to serve pan fried fish is on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes.

This sweet potato soup is perfect for lunch or supper. Use any kind of bread to make the toasts – I used English muffins.

25g butter or 2 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cubedsoup
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 litre (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
2 tsp mixed spice or cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Milk
Cream
Cheesy Thyme Toasts
4 large thick slices sourdough bread (or 4 muffins, split)
1 cup grated cheddar
3-4 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped (or 1-2 tsp dried thyme)
pinch salt
¼ cup cream

Heat butter or oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for a few minutes, or until softened but not brown. Add sweet potato, stock and mixed spice or cinnamon. Simmer for 20 mins or until vegetables are soft then allow to cool a bit.

Blend soup in a blender or food processor, in two batches, until smooth. Return to the saucepan and add enough milk to make to desired consistency. Season to taste. Reheat and serve topped with a swirl of cream and accompanied by the toasts.

Lightly toast bread or muffin halves in a toaster. Meanwhile turn grill on to high. Mix cheese, thyme, salt and cream and spread over the toasts. Place under hot grill until bubbly and golden.

Serves 4