Pickled Chillies

INGREDIENTS

500g sliced chillies ( enough to fill the jar you have)

15mo cider vinegar

100mp water

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

2 bay leaves

METHOD

Cut the ltops off and sice the chillies,  then place them and the bay leafves in a hot, sterilised 500ml jar.

In a saucepan, Bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil. Then pour the hot pickling liquid into a sterilised  jar. 

Tighten the lid and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled,place in the fridge and store for up to 4 months. 

Curry filled bread rolls

INGREDIENTS

For the bread rolls

2 cups of plain flour ( & more for dusting)

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp yeast

25g of butter, melted

100ml of warm water

10ml milk

1 egg

For the curry sauce

Olive oil for frying

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

300g minced meat (for these I used plant based meat)

Handful of frozen peas

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp curry powder

4 tbsp tomato passata

1 tbsp soy sauce

Small cup of water (as required)

Salt to taste

For the finish

1 egg, whisked

Sesame seeds

METHOD

For the bread rolls

INn a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients for the bread and stir to combine. Add all the wet ingredients and pull the dough together with a spatula. Cover and allow to rest for 10 mins.

Remove the dough from the bowl and knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. You may need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

Place in a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and allow to rise for about 45 mins or until the dough becomes airy.

On a floured surface roll the dough into a long strip and cut into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, place on a baking tray covered with baking paper , cover with a tea towel and allow to rise again for about 1 hour.

For the curry sauce

Add some oil to a deep frying pan and fry the onions over a medium heat until they start to colour. Add the garlic and continue to fry for a minute or two. Add the mince and the frozen peas and cook until done. Then add the flour and curry powder and stir to coat and cook the curry powder (1 min or so).  Add the passata and soy sauce and stir to combine. Add water to achieve a thick sauce (not too wet) and cook for a further 5 mins, adding more water if needed.  Salt to taste.

To combine

Heat the oven to 180C fan forced

Make a wide dent in each bun. Then add 1 heaped tbsp of the curry to the centre of each bun and form the dough around the curry, sealing it carefully.

Place the bums on baking paper lined trays leaving plenty of space for the bins to expand.  Brush with the egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 mins 

Eat hot or cold.

Roast cherry tomato salad

INGREDIENTS

• 400g cherry tomatoes, halved and divided into two equal batches
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained
• 1 block of halloumi, diced
• 1/2 tsp paprika 
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, finely diced

For the dressing

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, more if desired
  
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and pepper

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Line a baking tray with oven paper. Arrange half the tomatoes and all the chickpeas on the tray. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 20 to 30 mins, until the tomatoes are soft and the chickpeas start to dry slightly.  Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

Meanwhile, add a splash of oil to a frying pan and gently fry the halloumi until it is lightly browned. Remove and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the tomatoes, cucumber and herbs. Add in the paprika, halloumi and roasted tomatoes and stir to combine.

Combine all the ingredients (not the salt and pepper) for the dressing in a blender. Whizz for a few seconds until it emulsifies.

Add the dressing to the salad and combine.

Serve with couscous, or as a side dish to e.g. Thai fishcakes. Serves 4.

Creamy halloumi pasta bake

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil

200g block of halloumi, cut into cubes

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

200ml tomato passata

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Knob of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

300g penne pasta

150ml fresh thickened cream

Handful of shredded mozzarella cheese

METHOD

In a frying pan, fry the halloumi in a splash of olive oil until golden. Remove and set aside.

Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Add a little olive oil and salt to the water. Cook pasta as per instructions on the packet minus about 2 mins. Drain and cool with cold water. Set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 200C.

In a large pan fry the garlic in some olive oil over medium-low heat until it starts to soften. Then add the herbs and the tomatoes. Keep stirring and warm though. Now add the passata, halloumi, balsamic vinegar and butter and stir to combine. Cook on a low heat for about 5 mins until tomatoes are soft. Season if needed. Now add in the pasta and the cream and stir to combine.

Place the mixture into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake in the oven for 20 mins or until the cheese topping browns.

Serves 4

Mussels in tomato sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 kg of fresh mussels. Rinse and remove the tongues. Allow to sit on a bowl of water until time to cook

Olive oil for frying

1 leek, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tin tomatoes (or 4 fresh chopped tomatoes if you have them)

2 tbsp tomato passata

1 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup fresh chopped parsely

METHOD

In a large saucepan, fry the leeks until they start to soften. Then add in the garlic and fry for another minute. Next add in the tomatoes and the assata and bring to a simmer. Add 9n the stock a little at a time until you get the consistency of sauce you desire. 

Now drain the mussels and add to the sauce. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 mins or until the mussels have opened.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve with baguette or other crusty bread.

Note, if at the end you have left over sauce, remove any mussels and put the sauce through a blender. Heat through and serve with pasta and the remaining mussels.

Salmon parcels

INGREDIENTS

For the dressing

1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into long matchsticks

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

1 small carrot, peeled, cut into long matchsticks

2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

For the marinade

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

For the parcels

1 cup cold cooked rice

4 skinless Salmon fillets

1 cup peeled edamame

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 220C

Combine the dressing ingredients 8n a small bowl and place in the fridge.

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to a sauce. Add in the salmon, making sure all the pieces are coated. Cover and place in the fridge for 30+ mins.

Using a small bowl, arrange 4 circles of rice on 4 pieces of baking paper. Place one piece of salmon on each of the rice circles. Arrange the edamame along one side of the rice. Drizzle a little of the remaining marinade over the fish pieces.

Fold each price of baking paper to enclose the fish and rice, then place each parcel on an individual piece of tin foil and fold that to hold the parcels together.

Arrange the parcels on a baking tray and place in the oven for 20 to 40ins depending on the size and thickness of the fish.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before placing each parcel on a plate.

To serve, open the parcel on the plate and top with the matchstick dressing.

Hasselback halloumi and potato bake

INGREDIENTS

4 medium sized potatoes, sliced hasselback (to do this, place the potatoes between two wooden spoons and cut in multiple thin slices down to the spoons, leaving the potatoes intact)

Olive oil 

Salt

1 red capsicum, roughly sliced

1 zucchini, roughly sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tin tomatoes

1/2 cup passata

Splash of red wine

Drizzle of soy sauce

3 tbsp chopped basil

3 tbsp chopped thyme

1 tsp lemon juice

2 blocks of halloumi, cut into halves and sliced hasselback (see above)

handful of parsley, chopped

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200C fan forced.

Line a large baking tray (we'll use this again) with baking paper. Place in the potatoes and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in the oven and bake for 30 mins.

Meanwhile, add some olive oil to a large frying pan and fry the capsicum and the zucchini for 4 mins or so. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute. Now add the tomatoes, the passata, the wine and the soy sauce and cook for 3 mins. Then add theol9ves, capers, thyme, basil and lemon juice and cook over a low heat to combine and slightly thicken the sauce.

Remove the potatoes from the oven after 30 mins. Take out the potatoes and discard the baking paper. Add the sauce to the baking tray and push in the blocks of halloumi and potatoes. Return the tray to the oven and cook for 45 mins or until the halloumi begins to crispen.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 4.