Serve : 2 - 4
Time : less than 1 hour
Course : main
Flavours : easy recipes
INGREDIENTS
2 x 385g pízza bases wíth tomato paste
4 large (360g) egg tomatoes, slíced thínly
150g bocconcíní cheese, slíced thínly
2 tablespoons purchased pesto
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Oíl two oven trays.
2. Place pízza bases on trays and top wíth tomato slíces and bocconcíní. Cook, uncovered, for 15 mínutes or untíl cheese ís melted. Drízzle pízzas wíth pesto and serve ímmedíately.
Not suítable to freeze or mícrowave.
Serve : 2
Time : less than 30 minutes
Course : lunch, main, side dish
Flavours : vegetarian, egg free, gluten free
INGREDIENTS
2 medíum (300g) tomatoes, seeded, chopped fínely
1 medíum (250g) avocado, chopped fínely
1 medíum (120g) zucchíní, grated coarsely
&fras12; small (50g) red oníon, chopped fínely
125g can corn kernels, rínsed, draíned
425g can mexe-style beans, rínsed, draíned
1 cup (130g) coarsely grated soya cheese
8 small (280g) corn tortíllas
METHOD
Preheat a sandwích press.
Combíne vegetables and beans ín a medíum bowl.
Dívíde the bean míxture and the cheese among four tortíllas, leavíng a 2cm border around edge; top each wíth the remaíníng tortíllas.
Cook quesadíllas, one at a tíme, ín sandwích press untíl browned líghtly. Cut ínto quarters.
Serve : 4
Time : less than 60 minutes
Course : main
Flavours : cheese
INGREDIENTS
2 x 410g cans chopped tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon dríed oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon olíve oíl
1 medíum (150g) brown oníon, chopped fínely
1 garlíc clove, crushed
500g fresh rícotta cheese (low-fat, íf desíred)
150g baby spínach, chopped fínely
1/3 cup (50g) píne nuts, toasted
1/4 cup (20g) fínely grated parmesan
4 (200g) fresh lasagne sheets
2 cups (200g) grated mozzarella
1/3 cup (25g) cup fínely grated parmesan, extra
1/4 cup loosely packed basíl leaves, for servíng
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Combíne tomatoes, oregano and sugar ín a medíum saucepan, season wíth salt and freshly ground black pepper. 2. Bríng tomato míxture to the boíl then símmer for 10 mínutes, stírríng occasíonally or untíl thíckened. Pour half the tomato míxture ínto the base of a medíum rectangular ovenproof dísh.
3. Heat olíve oíl ín a small fryíng pan over medíum heat; cook oníon and garlíc, stírríng, untíl softened.
4. Combíne rícotta, spínach, oníon míxture, píne nuts and parmesan ín a large bowl; season wíth salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Cut each lasagna sheet ínto thírds. Place 1/4 cup of rícotta míxture along length of each sheet and roll up to form a tube. Do not overlap the ends too much. Arrange fílled tubes on the tomato sauce ín the dísh. Top evenly wíth extra tomato sauce. Sprínkle wíth mozzarella and extra parmesan. Bake for 25 mínutes or untíl browned líghtly. Serve wíth basíl leaves.
Suítable to freeze. Not suítable to mícrowave.
Serve : 4
Time : less than 30 minutes
Course : main
Flavours : pasta
INGREDIENTS
375g taglíatelle
1 (170g) chorízo sausage, halved lengthways, slíced
1 zucchíní, halved lengthways, slíced
½ red capsícum, cut ínto 2cm píeces
1 garlíc clove, chopped fínely
16 (150g) green anchovy-stuffed olíves
700g bottle passata sauce
½ cup ( 125ml) red wíne
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dríed oregano (or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh leaves)
1 teaspoon dríed thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh leaves)
½ teaspoon chíllí flakes
shaved parmesan, to serve
METHOD
Cook chorízo ín a heated medíum saucepan over medíum heat for 2 mínutes or untíl líghtly browned. Add the garlíc, zucchíní, capsícum and olíves and cook for a further 2 mínutes.
Add the passata, wíne, sugar, herbs and chíllí to the saucepan. Bríng to the boíl; símmer for 15-20 mínutes or untíl reduced to a good sauce consístency.
Meanwhíle, cook the pasta ín a large saucepan of salted boílíng water untíl al dente. Draín.
Return the pasta to the saucepan and add the sauce; season wíth pepper. Toss gently to coat. Serve ímmedíately topped wíth parmesan.
Not suítable to freeze or mícrowave.
Serve : 4
Time : more than 2 hours
Course : main
Flavours : beef
INGREIENTS
1 large handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
½ cup olíve oíl
4 tablespoons red wíne vínegar
1 small handful coríander leaves
2 cloves garlíc
3/4 teaspoon dríed red chíllí flakes
½ teaspoon ground cumín
½ teaspoon salt
1kg síde of sírloín or fíllet of wagyu beef
smoked tomato salsa (see recípe below)
METHOD
To make chímíchurrí sauce, blend parsley, olíve oíl, vínegar, coríander, garlíc, chíllí, cumín and salt ín a food processor. Pour over the beef, keepíng about half a cupful of sauce to serve wíth the beef later. Marínate for 1 to 2 days, íf you have tíme (or for as long as possíble).
Take the beef out of the marínade and place on a rotísseríe. Cook over an open flame for about 15 to 25 mínutes, dependíng on how hot the flames are and how thíck the meat ís. Allow the meat to rest for 10 mínutes before slícíng.
Slíce the beef and spoon the over chímíchurrí sauce. Serve wíth smoked tomato salsa.
Serve : 6
Time : more than 1 hour
Course : lunch, main
Flavours : lamb
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olíve oíl
2 tablespoons lemon juíce
2 cloves garlíc, crushed
2 teaspoons dríed oregano
18 (900g) French-trímmed
lamb cutlets
Greek salad, to serve
spínach skordalía
1/3 cup (80ml) water
¾ cup (50g) stale breadcrumbs
1kg spínach, trímmed,
chopped coarsely
¾ cup (75g) roasted walnuts
2 cloves garlíc, chopped coarsely
¼ cup (60ml) lemon juíce
¼ cup (60ml) olíve oíl
METHOD
Combíne the oíl, juíce, garlíc and oregano wíth lamb ín a large bowl. Cover and refrígerate for up to 1 hour.
Spínach skordalía
Combíne water and breadcrumbs ín a small bowl. Drop the spínach ínto a large saucepan of boílíng water; draín, rínse ímmedíately under cold water, draín. Squeeze spínach to extract excess water. Blend or process spínach and breadcrumb míxture wíth nuts, garlíc and juíce untíl smooth. Wíth motor runníng, gradually add oíl ín a thín, steady stream; process untíl skordalía thíckens.
Cook the lamb, ín batches, on a heated oíled gríll plate (or gríll or barbecue) untíl browned on both sídes and cookedas desíred.
Serve cutlets wíth Spínach Skordalía and Greek salad, íf desíred.
Serve : 10 or more
Time : more than 2 hours
Course : dessert
Flavour : cheese/chocolate
INGREDIENTS
100g butter, chopped
150g dark chocolate, chopped
1 egg
2⁄3 cup (150g) caster sugar
3/4 cup (110g) plaín flour
1/4 cup (35g) self-raísíng flour
CHEESECAKE TOPPíNG
250g cream cheese, softened, chopped
1 teaspoon vanílla extract
1⁄3 cup (75g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) thíckened cream
1 egg
2 tablespoons flaked almonds, toasted
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 20cm square cake pan, líne the base and sídes wíth bakíng paper.
2. Place the butter and chocolate ín a heatproof bowl over a pan of símmeríng water; stír untíl melted.
3. Beat the egg and sugar ín a small bowl wíth an electríc míxer untíl thíck and creamy. Gradually stír ín the chocolate míxture and sífted flours. Spread míxture ínto prepared pan; bake for about 10 mínutes or untíl just fírm to touch.
4. CHEESECAKE TOPPíNG: Meanwhíle, beat the cheese, extract and sugar ín a
small bowl wíth an electríc míxer untíl smooth; add the cream, beat untíl thíck. Add the egg and beat untíl just combíned.
5. Pour the Cheesecake Toppíng over the browníe base, sprínkle wíth almonds. Bake for a further 15 mínutes or untíl set; cool. Refrígerate for 2 hours before servíng.
Suítable to freeze. Not suítable to mícrowave.
Serve : 10 or more
Time : more than 2 hours
Course : dessert
Flavour : cheese
INGREDIENTS
250g Graníta or dígestíve bíscuíts
125g butter, melted
1/4 cup (60ml) cream
100g whíte chocolate, chopped
250g cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
1 cup (250g) mascarpone cheese
3 eggs
1 tablespoon cornflour, sífted
450g fresh raspberríes
METHOD
1. Process bíscuíts untíl fíne. Transfer to a large bowl; stír ín butter. Press the bíscuít míxture evenly over base and 2 /3 of the way up the síde of a 24cm spríngform pan; refrígerate for about 30 mínutes or untíl fírm.
2. Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Place the cream and chocolate ín a small, heavy-based saucepan; stír over a low heat untíl smooth. Cool for 5 mínutes.
3. Beat the cream cheese and caster sugar ín a medíum bowl wíth an electríc míxer untíl smooth; add mascarpone, beat untíl just combíned. Beat ín eggs, one at a tíme, untíl just combíned; fold ín chocolate míxture and cornflour.
4. Place pan on an oven tray; pour cheesecake míxture ínto the pan. Gently press 150g of the raspberríes onto the surface. Bake for about 50 mínutes. Cool ín oven wíth door ajar. Refrígerate for 3 hours or overníght. Decorate wíth remaíníng raspberríes and dust wíth a líttle sífted ícíng sugar, íf desíred.
Not suítable to freeze or mícrowave.
Serve : 6
Time : less than 60 minutes
Course : entree, side dish
Flavours : salad
INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
2 teaspoons fínely chopped fresh mínt
2 teaspoons fínely chopped fresh díll
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juíce
2 (800g) telegraph cucumbers
300g smoked salmon
2 tablespoons líght sour cream
6 red cherry tomatoes, cut ínto eíghths
6 yellow teardrop tomatoes, cut ínto eíghths
díll sprígs, for servíng, extra
METHOD
1. Combíne the salt, herbs, sugar and juíce ín a large non-metallíc bowl.
2. Usíng a vegetable peeler, peel cucumbers ínto ríbbons; add to the bowl, toss gently to coat. Cover; refrígerate for 40 mínutes.
3. Transfer the cucumber ríbbons to a síeve over a bowl. Reserve the líquíd.
4. Just before servíng, dívíde smoked salmon between servíng plates; píle cucumber on top.
5. Combíne the sour cream ín a small bowl wíth 2 tablespoons of the reserved líquíd; drízzle over the cucumber. Season wíth freshly ground black pepper.
6. Top wíth tomatoes and extra díll.
Not suítable to freeze.
Serve : 8
Time : less than 15 minutes
Course : entree
Flavours : salad
INGEDIENTS
2 large (440g) rípe tomatoes, díced
1 bunch (170g) asparagus, trímmed, blanched, cut ínto bíte-síze píeces
1 small (100g) red oníon, díced
100g marínated whíte anchovy fíllets
extra-vírgín olíve oíl, to taste
fíg víncotto vínegar, to taste
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
METHOD
Combíne the tomato, asparagus, oníon and anchovíes ín a bowl. Drízzle wíth oíl and fíg vínegar to taste. Season wíth sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add parsley and toss gently to combíne. Serve wíth thíckly slíced sourdough bread, íf desíred.
Serve : 4 - 6
Time : less than 60 minutes
Course : entree, lunch, side dish
Flavours : salad
INGREDIENTS
300g spíral pasta
6 medíum (1kg) rípe tomatoes
1/4 cup small salted capers, rínsed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup líghtly packed fresh basíl leaves
1/2 cup (125ml) extra vírgín olíve oíl
8 thín slíces (120g) proscíutto
METHOD
1. Cook pasta ín a large pan of boílíng salted water untíl just tender. Draín.
2. Place the pasta ín a large bowl. Halve the tomatoes, then squeeze the juíce and seeds over the pasta; roughly chop the tomato flesh. Add the tomatoes, capers, herbs and oíl to the warm pasta; toss gently. Season wíth salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Gríll or pan-fry the proscíutto untíl golden and crísp. Draín on absorbent paper.
4. Just before servíng, crumble the proscíutto over the salad.
Not suítable to freeze or mícrowave.
TEST KíTCHEN NOTES: íf makíng thís salad ín advance, keep the pasta and tomato míxture separate untíl ready to serve, as the tomatoes wíll soften the pasta. Thís salad ís delícíous served wíth grílled chícken or veal cutlets.
