Saturday, March 31, 2012

Lamb Curry


Start with sautéing in vegetable oil 1 sliced onion
Add 500gms diced lamb
Add 2 cubed potatoes
1 diced carrot
1 diced zuchini
Then add
2tbs  ground coriander
2tbs ground cumin
1tsp mustard seed
1tsp chilli powder
2tsp powdered ginger
2tsp asofetida (or garlic powder)
to this add 1 can of diced tomatoes and 100gms of red lentils
Cover with water and simmer for 45 mins

Serve with basmarti rice

Cauliflower and Lentil Curry











There is nothing like a good curry on a cool night or a hot one.

Cook 150gms of red lentils with some minced garlic . (i.e. boil slowly until lentils become a paste.

In a frypan fry 1 diced onion
Add 1 cauliflower cut into florets
1 finely sliced zucchini

When starting to brown add
2tbs  ground coriander
2tbs ground cumin
1tsp mustard seed
1tsp chilli powder
2tsp powdered ginger
2tsp asofetida (or garlic powder)

When the spices become fragrant add enough water to cover vege and simmer

When the vegetables are cooked add the lentils and add coconut cream

Serve with basmarti rice

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Winter Lamb Pasta


A good hearty pasta recipe is a great winter meal.

Start by sautéing diced onion, celery, carrot
Add 2 chopped garlic cloves
When softened add 500gms minced lamb
When browned add 300gms pureed tomato

Serve with pasta of choice.

Broccoli pasta and cheese


Boil your pasta in the normal manner.
Steam broccoli florets

Slowly heat 50gms of mascarpone chefs
150gms of boccocini
2tbs of sour cream
1tbs balsamic vinegar
1tbs white wine

Coat the pasta and broccoli in the cream sauce and serve

You could add nuts and capers


Sunday, March 18, 2012

Eggplant Stack


Start by cutting the eggplant into thin slices and pan frying in olive oil
Remove and drain on paper towel
Take several leaves of silver beet and cut roughly and lightly wilt in that same olive oil
Assemble the eggplant and top with the silver beet,
place balls of boccini over the top and grill until melted

Meanwhile blend a mixture of white bean, crushed garlic and salt. An heat.

Assemble on a plate garnish with a few matchsticks of carrot and red chilli

Hearty Beef Stew
















One thing we all need for the winter is a fall back beef stew, warming filling and healthy. This is a basic one from me. I hope in the coming months to do several different stews. Remember a recipe like this is a starting point, you should add subtract and play to come up with your dish.

Place in a large pot a generous slug of  rice bran oil
Then sauté
1 diced brown onion
2 sliced stalks of celery
2 finely diced carrots (not restaurant fine, just smallish )
2 chopped garlic cloves
When softened add diced stewing steak ( this should be a cheap chuck or similar cut) and brown
To this I added
2 potatoes cut into pieces
Diced pumpkin pieces
or whatever vege you have in the fridge
Season with salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon quill
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp sumac
Cover with beef stock
Cover and simmer stirring occasionally for 2-3 hours

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Bacon, Egg and Prawn Casserole

This dish is layered
Begin with a buttered casserole dish
Pour half a tin of crushed tomatoes over the base
Add one pack of frozen prawns
Cover with diced Zucchini
Then add a layer of cooked basmarti rice
Top this with 4 eggs break them onto the rice
Sprinkle with diced bacon
Combine the remaining tomatoes with Worcestershire sauce salt and pepper
Top the eggs with this mixture
1 cup of sour cream
Cover everything with grated cheddar cheese
Bake until golden

The prawns could easily be replaced with white fleshed fish or cooked chicken breast

Pork and Chilli Casserole


Brown 250 gms pork and beef mince
Add 1 sliced capsicum
1 diced onion
2tsp cumin
2tsp crushed garlic


Take a buttered casserole dish
Place a layer of chillies
Pour in the cooked meat mixture
Add another layer of chillies
Top with grated cheese

In a bowl blend together
5 eggs
1 cup flour
2 cups of milk
1 dash of tabasco

Pour into the casserole
Top with cheese

Oven bake 180c till set

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Tagine of Lamb Shanks


Start by browning the lamb shanks, one per person
Also cook lightly 1 diced red onion
2 crushed cloves of garlic
1tbs of ras al hanout
1 cinnamon quill
1 tbs fish sauce
1 can crushed tomatoes
1tbs grated ginger

Place into a casserole dish
add
2 diced potatoes
1 kumara cut into cubes
500mls of chicken stock

Cook at 180c for about 2 hours
Serve on a bed of cous cous

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Lamb Pie











Saute
One brown onion
1 diced carrot
3 thinly sliced celery ribs
1 diced zucchini
400gm tin of lentils
Add 150gms sliced mushroom
500gms lamb mince
2 cups of chicken stock

Simmer and reduce
Cover with two sheets of thawed puff pastry, spray with olive oil

Oven bake until golden

Cheesy Dumplings with Pasta


Combine in a bowl:

300gms ricotta cheese
1 finely diced onion
2 beaten eggs
2 tbs self raising flour
35gms bread crumbs
40gms grated cheddar cheese

Form into balls and oven bake for 25 mins at 180c

Serve over pasta with your favourite tomato sauce

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Salmon, dhal and rice











I got this idea from Australian Good Food, a great magazine well worth a look.

A salmon fillet is needed for this dish but I find ocean trout a little better. I also love a fillet with skin on. Whatever fish you choose make sure to pin bone it first. Nothing spoils a fish meal like unexpected bones.

Firstly cook some basmarti rice in chicken stock.

For the dhal I combine
1 diced red onion
1 diced tomato
2 tbs spicy masala (you can use a ready made one, or make your own)
1 cup red lentils
3 cups chicken stock

Simmer until lentils are cooked

Finely cook the fish, 3/4 of cooking time should be skin side down.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Vegetable Noodle Casserole











Dice a selection of vegetables and sauté in olive oil.
I used
1 diced onion
1 diced red capsicum
2 diced celery stalks
1 half a cauliflower florets only

Combine ingredients in a casserole dish
add
1 cup of milk
A selection of your favourite noodles (already cooked)
Top with cheese and cook until melted and golden

Can be flavoured with curry powder and of course use whatever vege you have to hand and if you would like some chicken or fish.