Recipe - Green Bean Salad with Toasted Almonds

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup sliced almonds
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 to 3” long pieces
• ¼ cup water
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 small-to-medium clove garlic
• Several twists of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Start with a large skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently (careful, they burn quickly). After 3 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue stirring until they are fragrant and turning golden on the edges, about 1 to 3 more minutes. Transfer the almonds to a bowl to cool.
2. Make sure the heat is set to medium-low and place the skillet back on the heat. Immediately add the green beans, water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are nearly tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the lid, raise heat to medium-high, and cook until the liquid evaporates, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
4. Once the green beans are done cooking, whisk the olive oil mixture once more, then pour it into the skillet. Pour the almonds back into the skillet.
5.  Toss to combine, then taste and add more lemon juice or black pepper if necessary.
6. Transfer the green beans to a serving bowl or platter.

Adapted from source

Recipe - Roast Pumpkin Salad

Simple and delicious! Just roast pumpkin, roast chickpeas then spinach, pine nuts, raisins,

feta and a seed mix of your choice (e.g. sunflower seeds, pepita etc). I then used a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil plus salt and pepper as the dressing.

Recipe - Mango Rice Salad

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (300g) jasmine rice
• 1 bunch Thai basil (see note)
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon halves to serve
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 1 bunch mint, leaves picked
• 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked
• 2/3 cup (50g) shredded coconut
• 6 spring onions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 long red chilli, seeds removed, sliced
• 2 mangoes, flesh chopped
• 1/2 cup (75g) roasted peanuts, chopped
• 1 cup fried Asian shallots

Method

1. Place the rice in a saucepan with 2 basil sprigs and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover with cold water, then cook according to packet instructions. Drain and refresh in cold water, discarding the basil sprigs.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice and oil in a bowl with salt and pepper.
3. Chop most of the mint, coriander and remaining Thai basil, reserving a few whole leaves to garnish.
4. Stir the shredded coconut in a dry frypan over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes until lightly toasted.
5. Place the rice in a bowl with the chopped herbs, toasted coconut, spring onion, chilli, lemon zest, mango, peanuts and dressing and toss to combine. 
6. Transfer to a serving bowl, scatter with the fried shallots and whole herb leaves, then serve with lemon to squeeze.

source

Recipe - Banana Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sifted plain
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds/4 pods worth approx
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 50g butter, melted
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup butter milk
• 2 ripe – very ripe bananas, mashed

 Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Spray a 7cm-deep, 10 x 20cm (base measurement) loaf pan with oil. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending 3cm above rim.
2. Step 2
3. Pour all the dry ingredients into a bowl
4. Make a well in the centre. Add all the wet ingredients except for the milk
5. Combine all with a wooden spoon
6. Pour in the milk then stir until combines
7. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Set aside in pan for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Serve warm or transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
8. Top with your favourite sour cream or cream cheese or mascarpone icing and also chocolate shards if you like.

Recipe - Mushroom Pasta Bake

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
• 4 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 stem celery, finely diced
• 800 grams passata
• 500 grams portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
• large bunch kale, stems removed and roughly sliced
• 500 grams ricotta cheese
• large handful fresh basil leaves
• 250 grams gluten free lasagne sheets
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• sea salt and cracked black pepper
• olive oil for sautéing

METHOD 

1. Heat a genereous glug of olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, galic, carrot and celery.
2. Cook gently, without browning, for 8–10 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the passata, mushrooms and kale. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Combine the ricotta and herbs. Season generously. 
4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Place a big spoonful of tomato sauce on the bottom of your lasagna dish.
5. Place lasagne sheets over the top to create a layer. Spread half the ricotta mixture over the layer – I find a wide knife makes this simple. Top with another layer of pasta. Spoon half the tomato and vegetable sauce on this layer. Top with pasta.
6. Spread the remaining ricotta on top. Layer with pasta and top with the rest of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and place in the oven to bake for 45 minutes.
7. Let the dish sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with a green salad. Leftover lasagne will be last up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Source: Dish Magazine NZ

Recipe - Anchovy and Caper Sauce

Ingredients:

• 12 anchovy fillets, minced
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons capers
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Juice from one small lemon
• ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
• Freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Place the minced anchovies and ½ cup of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Stir until the anchovies melt into the oil (about 3-5 minutes).
3. While the anchovies and oil are melding, finely chop the capers.
4. Remove the anchovy-infused oil from the heat and add the capers and red pepper flakes.
5. Then, pour in the remaining olive oil
6. Add the lemon juice.
7. Give everything a good stir.
8. Toss in the chopped parsley
9. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper. No extra salt necessary!

Recipe - Tomato and Chorizo Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 chilli, finely sliced
• 700g passata
• 1 large handful fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar
• 300g dried short pasta of your choice (I use macaroni or similar)
• 4 big handfuls Parmesan cheese
• 2 chorizo

Method

Go for it and multi-task of you're confident otherwise do in three parts

First cook the chorizo

• Preheat your oven to 200°C
• Cook the chorizo whole then when they have about 5 minutes to go take them out, slice them then return to the oven so they are browned on all sides

Second cook the sauce

• In an appropriately sized pan heat olive oil then add your onion, garlic and chilli and slowly fry for about 10 minutes on a medium to low heat until softened but without any colour.
• Add passata and sugar and bring to the boil and simmer for around 20 minutes.
• Tear your basil leaves into the sauce and correct the seasoning with salt, pepper and sugar

Cook the pasta

• Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions

Put it all together

• Toss the pasta with half of the tomato sauce and a handful of Parmesan through the drained pasta
• Get yourself an appropriately sized baking dish and rub it with a little olive oil.
• Layer a little pasta in the pan, followed by some tomato sauce, a handful of grated Parmesan and scatter chorizos then repeat these layers until you’ve used all the ingredients, ending with a good layer of cheese on top.
• Pop it into the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden, crisp and bubbling. 

Recipe - Silvia Colloca's Healthy Dairy-Free Pear, Sultana And Olive Oil Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 150g brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 75ml olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cloves
• seeds of 1 vanilla bean
• 170g self-raising flour, sifted
• 50g almond meal
• 100ml almond milk
• 50g raisins, soaked in grappa (or rum) for 30 minutes
• 3 bosc or corella pears, peeled and cut into eighths
• cinnamon sugar, for dusting

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly oil a 25cm cake tin and dust with flour, shaking out the excess.
2. Whisk the sugar with the eggs until fluffy; add oil, spices, vanilla, flour and almond meal. Pour in the almond milk and mix gently to create a loose batter. Drain the raisins, squeezing out any excess liquid, and add them to the batter along with the chopped pear pieces.
3. Pour the cake batter into the tin and bake for 35–40 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean if inserted in the centre of the cake. As most ovens vary, check your cake after 25–30 minutes.
4. Cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
5.  Serve dusted with cinnamon sugar and an espresso, in true Italian style.

Source link

Recipe - Fish Poached en Papillote

Ingredients

• 4 x 180g piece of boneless, skinless monkfish or snapper (or any other white fish)
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 anchovies
• 1 sprig lemon thyme
• 2 sprigs of parsley
• 2 tbsp capers
• 60ml extra virgin olive oil
• 80ml white wine
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and place four large pieces of baking paper on top of four large pieces of foil.
2. In a blender add the garlic, anchovies, herbs, olive oil and half the capers and blend.
3. Place one fish per baking paper with the herb paste both under an ontop (it will work out to be around (1-2 tsp) of the herb paste per fish.
4. Season the fish
5. Pour 20ml of white wine over each piece of fish and drizzle with a little olive oil.
6. Bring the two ends of the baking paper together to encase the fish, and crumple them together to seal. Tuck the other two sides underneath, then fold the foil over the fish, sealing the edges by crimping with your fingers. Repeat for the remainder.
7. Place the parcels on a baking tray and into the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes. Removed and place on plate, tear a hole in the top and serve.

Note: In the image we did this recipe in banana leaves. It was a bit of fun. The flavour was only tweaked slightly so i'll probably stick to the in-the-bag version.

Inspired by this recipe

Recipe - Sundried tomato sauce

The below is what you would need for sauce for 2.

I’ve often added fresh or smoked salmon (a combination also works well!)

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 8 ripe cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 dried chile
• 1/2 bunch of fresh Italian parsley
• 2 Tbsp. sun-dried tomato paste (adjust to taste)
• 1 glass white or rose wine
• Spaghetti

Method

Peel and finely slice the garlic, quarter the tomatoes, chop the chile very finely slice the parsley stalks, then roughly chop the leaves and put them aside for later.

Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water according to package instructions. 

Place a large frying pan on a high heat. Add a generous swirl of olive oil, quickly followed by the garlic, tomatoes, chile, parsley stalks and sun-dried tomato paste. When fragrant add the wine. Simmer until sauce reduces and thickens. Finish with the chopped parsley leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. 

Inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Blushing Spaghetti Vongole (which I can’t do due to Bryan’s shellfish allergy)

Recipe - Chocolate Cake with Nutella (or Peanut butter) Icing & Popcorn

Recipe - One Pan Roast Chicken

Ingredients

• 6 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
• 4 anchovies in oil, drained, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 8 chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
• 800g baby kipfler potatoes, halved lengthways
• 100g speck or streaky bacon, cut into 5mm-thick batons
• 250g baby truss tomatoes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Combine the thyme, anchovies, oregano, chilli, oil, garlic and lemon zest in a bowl (could even use a food processor). Add the chicken and turn to coat. 
3. Parboil the potatoes
4. Add the potatoes and toss to combine. Place on a large baking tray and scatter over the speck.
5. Cut the zested lemon into wedges and add to the tray. Season and roast for 40 minutes or until chicken is golden and potatoes tender. Remove from the oven and top with tomatoes. Cover with foil. Roast for a further 10-15 minutes or until tomatoes are cooked through.
6. Squeeze over roasted lemon juice to serve.

Inspiration - although changes made

Recipe - Zucchini And Haloumi Fritters

Ingredients

• 5 zucchini (650g), coarsely grated
• 100g smoked ham, torn into thin pieces
• 250g haloumi, coarsely grated
• 2/3 cup (100g) self-raising flour
• 1/3 cup (50g) plain flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup chopped dill
• Pinch of dried chilli flakes, plus extra to serve
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to shallow-fry
• 1 bunch radishes, very thinly sliced
• 1 cup (180g) podded broad beans, blanched, refreshed, skins removed
• 200g snow pea shoots
• Green goddess dressing
• 1/2 bunch each mint, dill, parsley and tarragon, leaves picked
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream
• 1/2 cup (140g) thick Greek-style yoghurt

Method

1. Place zucchini in a colander set over a bowl and stir through 1 tsp salt. Set aside for 15 minutes, then squeeze to remove excess liquid. Combine with ham, haloumi, flours, egg, dill and chilli in a bowl. Heat 5mm oil in a large non-stick frypan over medium heat. In batches, spoon 1/4 cup zucchini mixture per fritter into pan. Flatten slightly with a spatula. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side until golden, then drain on paper towel. Keep warm. Repeat with remaining mixture
2. For the dressing, place all ingredients in a food processor, season, and whiz until smooth.
3. Toss radish, broad beans, pea shoots and remaining 1 tbs olive oil in a bowl. Serve fritters hot with dressing and salad.

Source

Recipe - Prosciutto Chicken in Mushroom Sauce

I enjoyed fiddling with flavours to make this and would make it for a dinner party!

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 80g Panko bread crumbs
• 40g baby spinach
• 40g cheese (I used Parmesan but could use other or a mix)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 chicken breasts
• 8 slices of prosciutto
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

For the Mushroom Sauce

• 50g dried mushrooms
• 500ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 100g mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
• 100ml white wine
• 125ml single cream
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
• Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, to garnish.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C

For the mushroom sauce

• Soak the dried mushrooms in a bowl with the chicken stock.
• For the stuffed chicken
• Blitz in the food processor: crumbs, spinach, cheese, garlic and season with salt and pepper

To stuff the chicken

• Lay the chicken breasts on a chopping board and, using a sharp knife, slice horizontally to create a pocket. Stuff each pocket with the mix.
• Wrap two slices of prosciutto around each chicken breast.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the chicken breasts and fry all over until they are crisp and golden. 
• Transfer the breasts to a roasting tin and cook on the middle shelf in the oven for about 20 minutes until the prosciutto is crispy and the chicken is cooked through.

Back to the mushroom sauce

• Add the butter to the pan and place it back on a medium heat.
• Fry the onion and fresh mushrooms until tender.
• Add the garlic and fry for another 2 minutes.
• Remove the mushrooms from the stock, keeping the stock and slice the mushrooms
• Pour in the soaked dried mushrooms together with the chicken stock and add the white wine.
• Bring the sauce to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened. 
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream. 
• Season with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.

To finish

• Remove the chicken from the oven as sprinkle over the rest of the bread crumb mixture and return to the oven for 5 minutes until golden brown.
• Sprinkle the cooked chicken breast with parsley and serve with the mushroom sauce and some rice, pasta or salad leaves

Recipe - My Potato Salad

I created this recipe using my favourite flavours. All the quantities can be adjusted so you can add more of your favourite tastes and/or omit the ingredients you’re not into. I really don't like creamy or mayo-y potato salads so have only added a tiny bit of mayo. You can totally skip it though if you're like me and don't always feel like mayo.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 chorizo (130g), diced
• 8 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• Shallots,
• diced
• ¾ cup peas, cooked
• 2 tbsp. mayo (optional)
• 12 Mint leaves, shredded
• 80g Fetta, cubed

Method

1. Fry the chorizo in the olive oil and when cooked set aside
2. Boil the potatoes and when cooked add them to your salad bowl
3. Add the chorizo, reserving the oil
4. Fry the shallots in the reserved oil then add the shallots and oil, and peas to the potato.
5. Mix the ingredients together
6. When cooled add the mayo, mint and fetta