Fennel and Chickpea Soup
What you need
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium fennel bulb chopped
1 tin chick peas or equivalent dried soaked and cooked 1 hour
1 litre chicken stock
olive oil
salt and pepper to season
What you need to do
Add onion fennel and olive oil to large sauce pan and slowly sweat the vegetables until translucent.
Add the chick peas and enough chicken stock to cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Blitz or wizz and serve dressed with fennel fronds and some whole chick peas. Enjoy!
Baked Spiced Red Cabbage
What you need
1/2 red cabbage thinly sliced
1 red onion diced
2 Green apples (Granny Smith) peeled, cored and diced
6 whole cloves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
5g butter
What you need to do
Heat oven to 180 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix and transfer to oven proof casserole dish. Dot the top of the mix with butter, cover with lid or foil and bake for 30 mins. Check cabbage and stir then return to oven for a further 15 mins. Check again, stir and bake for further 15 mins.
Great accompaniment to roast pork and sweet potato.
Veggie Pie
What you need
Left over cooked vegetables about 2 cups
I used honeyed carrots (added a lovely sweetness), mashed potato, peas
1 shallot finely sliced
3 eggs beaten
salt and pepper
What to do
Mash the honeyed carrots and peas into chunky bits (or whatever veg you have), mix in with mashed potato, finely diced shallot, beaten eggs and season to taste.
Warm oven to 180 degrees. Heat olive oil small oven proof fry pan on stove top suitable size for your veggie cake mix. Add the mixture and cook until starting to firm. Place fry pan in oven for 15 to 20 mins until veggie cake is firm. Remove from oven, let sit a few minutes then turn onto a board and slice. Enjoy.
Beef and Guinness Stew
What you need
500g Gravy beef or other stewing beef diced to 3cm chunks
2 carrots peels and chopped in 1cm slices
1 large brown onion diced
2 celery sticks chopped
2 rashes of bacon diced
2 bay leafs
1 can of Guinness (or ale of choice)
2 tablesppons tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
400 mil chicken stock
Salt and pepper
What you need to do
Place all chopped ingredients in a chassure or heavy based casserole dish, add bay leaf, salt pepper and can of Guinness.
Combine tomato paste and flour, mix in chicken stock and add to casserole.
Place lid on and cook in 130 degree oven (or on top of wood fire box) cook 3 hours. Check and stir each hour. To thicken remove lid and cook further 30 mins. Enjoy
Tuna with spaghetti and rocket
What you need
Fresh tuna steaks seasoned with salt and pepper
200g spaghetti
Fresh rocket finely chopped
2 tablespoons capers
Pinch dried chilli flakes
Grated lemon rind of 1 lemon
Lemon juice
Olive oil
What you need to do
Cook pasted in boiling water to packet instructions. Brush tuna with olive and sear in hot fry pan to your liking. Heat olive oil in small pan, add capers and chilli flakes cook until capers are crisp. When pasta is cooked, drain, return to pan and add rocket, capers and chilli mix, grated lemon rind and a little olive oil. Serve rocket pasta on plates, top with tuna steak, cracked pepper and lemon wedges. Enjoy
Pie Pastry - no fail
What you need
125 g unsalted butter
250 g plain flour
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons of water
What you need to do
Place all ingredients in food process (or by hand if your industrious) and blitz. Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 mins.
When you are ready to roll your pastry, I suggest rolling between grease proof paper. Line your lightly greased pie tins and away you go!
Pie filling suggestion is anything slow cooked and cooled before building your pie.
Spinach and Pea salad with feta cheese and lemon dressing
What you need for the salad
Baby Spinach leaves
1 cup frozen baby peas thawed
1 shallot finely chopped
1/2 cup cubed creamy feta cheese
Dressing:
Grated zest of one lemon
olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to season.
What you need to do
Combine the salad ingredients in a serving bowl. Mix together the dressing ingredients, pour over salad and serve.
Turkish Shepard Salad
What you need
4 ripe tomatoes, skin and seeds removed, diced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and sliced
1/2 red or green capsicum diced
1/2 red onion sliced
Bunch of radish (optional) sliced
Tablespoon each of fresh dill, parsley and mint finely choped
Juice of one lemon
Drizzle of olive oil
Season to taste
What you need to do
Combine above ingredients in service bowl and enjoy a health fresh salad
Chicken Pasta Salad with Avocado Dressing
A great way to use up left over roast chicken with vegetable and/or salad ingredients on hand.
What you need:
1 cup cooked Fusili pasta
Diced left over chicken
Baby Spinach leaves
Cooked brocolini or broccoli
Cooked corn cobs
Anything else you fancy for example onion, red capsicum, potato, radish. Nice fresh crunch texture.
Dressing:
1 ripe avocado
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup water
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to season
What to do:
combine dressing ingredients in food processor or blitzer and wizz to a smooth consistency, not too thick.
Combine salad ingredients with pasta in a large bowl. Mix through the avocado dressing, top with baby spinach leaves and serve.
