Author: Andy

SWEET POTATO TOAST WITH HERBY BEANS

SWEET POTATO TOAST WITH HERBY BEANS

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Servings: 2
Course: Entree, Main Dish
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the topping:
  • 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic crushed or finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp capers finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (or sweetener of your choice optional)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 zucchini courgette
  • 1 can of cannellini beans drained
For the toast:
  • 1 large sweet potato orange kumara

Method
 

For the topping:
  1. Mix everything except for the cannellini beans and zucchini ribbons together in a mixing bowl. The sweetener is optional - taste your dressing and see if it needs it. My lemons were new season, only just ripe and very tart, so some sweetener was essential to balance out the flavours.
  2. Stir the cannellini beans through the dressing.
  3. Use a vegetable peeler to make ribbons with your zucchini, then add the ribbons to the bowl too. Give everything a good stir, ensuring the ribbons separate from each other and are all coated in dressing. Set aside to soften and soak up the flavours while you make your toast.
For the toast:
  1. Slice your sweet potato lengthways, into pieces about 1cm (just under half an inch) thick. Trim the ends if necessary to allow the slices to fit inside your toaster for cooking.
  2. Put the sweet potato slices in your toaster and let it do its thing, repeating the toasting cycle as many times as needed to reach a level of doneness you're happy with. Mine took four goes.
  3. Once your toast is cooked, serve immediately with a big pile of herby beans and zucchini ribbons on top.

Curried Cauliflower and Apple Soup

Curried Cauliflower and Apple Soup

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Servings: 6
Course: Entree, Main Dish, Platter
Cuisine: Indian, Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Soup
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium brown onion roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 large cauliflower cut into small florets
  • 1 large pink lady apple peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1.5 litres low salt chicken stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons honey plus more to taste
  • 1/3 cup thickened cream
For Curried Apples Garnish
  • 1 pink lady apple
  • 1/4 teaspoon curry powder

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the curry powder and cinnamon and cook a few minutes more.
  2. Add the cauliflower, apple, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.
  3. Purée the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches.
  4. Stir in the honey and heavy cream. Bring the soup to a simmer, and then taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and more honey. (For a sweeter soup, you'll need 2-3 tablespoons more honey). Keep the soup warm while you prepare the garnish.
  5. For the Curried Apples garnish, toss the diced apples with the curry powder. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and top with a spoonful of curried apples.
Author Posted on Categories Soup

TOMATO, AVOCADO AND MOZZARELLA SALAD ON GRILLED GARLIC TOAST

TOMATO, AVOCADO AND MOZZARELLA SALAD ON GRILLED GARLIC TOAST

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Servings: 4
Course: Entree, Main Dish, Platter
Cuisine: Italian, Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 in large baguette slicedhalf
  • 6 tablespoons roasted garlic oil
  • 3 to 4 heirloom tomatoes thinly sliced
  • 2 avocado thinly sliced
  • 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
  • 2 balls fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese
  • leaves fresh basil and oreganofor topping
quick herb drizzle
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup olive oil

Method
 

  1. Heat the grill on the highest setting. Once hot, place the bread cut-side down on the grates until golden brown and toasty. Remove from the grill and place on a large baking sheet. Drizzle the toast with the roasted garlic oil, about 3 tablespoons for each side. Layer on the sliced tomatoes and avocado. Liberally season the tomatoes and avocado at this point.
  2. Add on the sliced red onion – as much or little as you’d like. Drizzle about half the herb dressing on now, then cover the top with pulled mozzarella. Drizzle the rest of the herb dressing on. Cover with the fresh basil and oregano leaves. A sprinkle more of salt and pepper if you’d like – and serve!
quick herb drizzle
  1. Add the herbs, vinegar, salt and pepper to a food processor or blender. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. Stream in the olive oil until the mixture comes together.

Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage Brown-Butter Sauce

Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage Brown-Butter Sauce

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Servings: 4
Course: Entree, Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 700 g pumpkin
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 large Garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup ricotta
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh sage
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 packet oven-ready lasagna sheets
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
  2. Place pumpkin, along with 3/4 cup water, in a large pan over medium heat. Cover and steam until tender, 20 minutes. Remove to a medium bowl and mash until smooth.
  3. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet and sauté garlic until golden. Transfer garlic to a mortar and pestle, then crush to a paste. Stir cheeses, chopped sage, salt, pepper, and garlic paste into mashed pumpkin. Set aside.
  4. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook lasagna sheets until tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and drizzle with olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking together. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water.
  5. Liberally brush a medium baking dish with oil. Place a lasagna sheet on a clean work surface. Add 4 tablespoons pumpkin mixture to centre of lasagna, roll into a cannelloni tube, then transfer to prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining sheets.
  6. Pour reserved pasta water over lasagna and cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and pasta is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Cook butter and sage leaves in small skillet over medium-high heat until golden-brown. Drizzle over pumpkin cannelloni and serve immediately.

Best Ever Mushroom Soup

Best Ever Mushroom Sauce

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Servings: 6
Course: Entree, Main Dish
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 kg mushrooms sliced
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 brown onion diced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup thickened cream
  • 1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves for garnish or to taste
  • 1 pieces baguette halved lengthways and cut into 5cm
  • 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Herb butter
  • 60 g softened butter
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tbsp thyme
  • 1/2 clove garlicfinely chopped

Method
 

  1. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat; cook mushrooms in butter with 1 pinch salt until the mushrooms give off their juices; reduce heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring often, until juices evaporate and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside a few attractive mushroom slices for garnish later, if desired.
  2. Mix onion into mushrooms and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 more minutes.
  3. Stir flour into mushroom mixture and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes to remove raw flour taste. Tie thyme sprigs into a small bundle with kitchen twine and add to mushroom mixture; add garlic cloves. Pour chicken stock and water into mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Remove thyme bundle.
  4. Transfer soup to a blender in small batches and puree on high speed until smooth and thick.
  5. Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Season with salt and black pepper and keep warm.
  6. For herb butter, combine ingredients in a small bowl, season to taste and set aside.
  7. Preheat a grill to high. Place baguette cut-side up on a baking tray and grill until golden (1-2 minutes each side), then spread with herb butter.
  8. Serve soup in bowls, garnished with reserved mushroom slices, a few thyme leaves and the baguette slice.

Rosemary-infused strawberry empanadas

Rosemary-infused strawberry empanadas

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Servings: 12
Course: Dessert, Platter
Cuisine: Sth American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • For filling
  • 1 450 g strawberries
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp chocolate chips approx or a little more, optional
For empanada dough
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour 135g
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour 140g plain flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 55 g unsalted butter 55g cut into chunks
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4-5 tbsp water cold
  • 1 egg lightly beaten for egg wash

Method
 

  1. Hull and roughly chop the strawberries. Put in a pan with the honey and rosemary, mix and bring to a low boil. Boil gently for around 30 minutes until it thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to around room temperature.
  2. While the filling is cooking, make the dough. Put the flours and the salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the egg, butter and oil and pulse until like small breadcrumbs.
  3. Add the water a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is coming together in larger lumps. Remove from food processor, press together and cover and refrigerate for around 30min (less is fine).
  4. Meanwhile preheat oven to 200C.
  5. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until about as thin as you are comfortable with (around 2-3mm) and cut out circles - about 10cm diameter.
  6. Put a spoonful of the strawberry filling in the middle of each circle of dough leaving around 2cm around the outside. Press in two or three chocolate chips in each if using. Brush the outside of the circle with egg wash.
  7. Carefully pull together the sides of the pastry and stick the edges together - this is easiest by bringing together at the middle then working to one side before then working back along the whole edge. If you like, crimp the edge as you go by gently pulling the underneath side over the edge and tucking in. Alternatively press the edges together with the tip of a fork.
  8. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment and transfer the empanadas to the tray. Brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg wash then bake for approx 15min until the empanadas are starting to brown.

Mini Apple Rose Pies

Mini Apple Rose Pies

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Servings: 16 mini pies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1-2 sheets frozen short crust pastry
  • 6 pink lady apples thinly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice about half a lemon
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoon butter
  • 5 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

Method
 

  1. Chill mini muffin tin in the fridge. Thaw pastry sheets as instructed. Once ready, place on a lightly floured surface; using a 8cm cookie cutter, punch out rounds. Remove muffin tin from fridge. Gently press rounds into each well. Transfer pie crust-lined muffin tin back to fridge to prepare filling.
  2. Core apples. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut apples into half-moon shapes about 2mm thin. Gently toss apples in lemon juice. Place brown sugar, butter, and jam into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir and cook until ingredients are melted and combined. Remove from heat. Pour mixture over apples slices. Toss to combine. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to allow apples to become pliable. If apples are still not pliable, quickly microwave in 15-second bursts until apples are pliable. Strain apples slices and discard liquid.
  3. To form roses, arrange about 8 apple slices in a straight row, with each slice overlapping one another to create a 12-inch line. Starting with one end, gently roll apples. Transfer rolled apples into pie crust. Repeat rolling apples, until all pie crusts are filled. Heat oven to 180c. Transfer to oven and bake until the crust is golden and apples have cooked, about 30 minutes. If apples start to brown faster than pie crust, lightly place foil on top.
Author Posted on Categories Cakes

Thai Roast Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

Thai Roast Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

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Servings: 6
Course: Entree, Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 kg pumpkin peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4 tsp sunflower oil
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • 1 lemongrass bashed a little
  • 4 tbsp Thai red curry paste
  • 400 ml can coconut milk
  • 850 ml vegetable stock
  • lime juice and sugar for seasoning
  • 1 red chilli sliced, to serve (optional)

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 180C fan. Toss the pumpkin or squash in a roasting tin with half the oil and seasoning, then roast for 30 mins until golden and tender.
  2. Meanwhile, put the remaining oil in a pan with the onion, ginger and lemongrass. Gently cook for 8-10 mins until softened.
  3. Stir in the curry paste for 1 min, followed by the roasted pumpkin, all but 3 tbsp of the coconut milk and the stock.
  4. Bring to a simmer, cook for 5 mins, then fish out the lemongrass.
  5. Cool for a few mins, then whizz until smooth with a hand blender, or in a large blender in batches.
  6. Return to the pan to heat through, seasoning with salt, pepper, lime juice and sugar, if it needs it.
  7. Serve drizzled with the remaining coconut milk and scattered with chilli.

CURRIED CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

CURRIED CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

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Servings: 6
Course: Entree, Main Dish
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons ghee butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc.
  • 4 leeks white parts only, sliced thinly
  • 1 large onion roughly chopped
  • 3 medium shallots roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Indian curry powder
  • 750 grams broccoli florets
  • 1/4 medium apple diced small
  • 4 cups bone broth or organic free-range chicken broth
  • Sea salt flakes
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk

Method
 

  1. Melt the ghee or fat of choice over medium heat in a large soup pot.
  2. Add the leeks, onions, shallots, and curry powder, and sauté until softened. When in doubt, toss in lots of alliums – your soup will taste that much better.
  3. Throw in the chopped broccoli and apple and add the chicken broth. Top off with some water if the vegetables aren’t submerged.
  4. Turn the heat up to high to bring the soup to a boil, and then lower to a simmer until the vegetables are soft (~20 minutes).
  5. Once the vegetables are soft, season with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Remove the pot from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Place the pot back on medium heat and stir in cup of coconut milk until uniform and warmed through. Serve!
Author Posted on Categories Paleo

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

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Servings: 8 Pancakes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree see notes
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Method
 

  1. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground ginger, kosher salt, and ground cloves) in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients (milk, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla extract) and whisk to combine.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir together. Mix until just incorporated - try not to over-stir. It's okay if the batter is lumpy. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.
  4. Heat a non-stick skillet of medium-high heat. Pour approximately 1/2 cup of the batter in the middle of the griddle and twirl pan in a circular motion to get the batter to spread out evenly to approximately a 5 inch circle. No need to add any additional oil to the pan since the batter already has coconut oil.
  5. Cook until bubbles begin to emerge from the center of the pancake and the sides of the pancake change from shiny to dull, approximately 3-6 minutes. Quickly slide a spatula underneath the pancake and flip over. Cook on this side for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.
  6. To keep the pancakes warm while finishing up all the batter, you can place the pancakes on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil in the oven at 200 degrees.
  7. Serve hot, with some pure maple syrup.

Notes

To make pumpkin puree, preheat over to 108c. Cut pumpkin into large wedges and toss in olive oil. Roast on a tray until soft (around 40 minutes). Cool and blitz in a processor until smooth. Freeze any excess, it keeps well.