Spaghetti ala Vongole

Ingredients

Spaghetti (2/3 of a pack for 2 people)

500g of Pipis (あさり). If frozen, allow to thaw fully and then place in a bowl and cover with water.

Olive oil

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

1/2 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 

1 large tomato, finely chopped

1 sachet tomato paste (2 tbsp)

Large splash of white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

Handful of chopped parsley

Method

Cook the pasta to al dente as per pack instructions.

While the pasta is cooking,, heat some oil in a deep frying pan and gently sauce the garlic and chilli for 1 minute. Then add the tomato and gently crush the tomato until it starts to look like a paste. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the pipis and a little of the water they've been sat in.

Cover and cook until the pipis open (fresh) or for 3 mins (if starting from frozen).

Then add the wine and stir to combine.

Drain the spaghetti and add it to the sauce along with the parsley. Stir to combine.

Serve with crusty bread.

Dumplings

Photo shows herb dumplings with Chicken Paprika Casserole

Ingredients

250g self-raising flour

140g cold salted butter, chopped into small cubes

Salt and pepper to taste 

150ml of cold water

 

Variations

Herb dumplings - add 1 tsp of herb(s) of your choice to the mix

Cheesy dumplinds - add a small nadfull of grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese to the mix

Method

Put the flour and butter into a bowl. With your fingers rub the flour and butter together until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.  Add the salt and papper (and any herbs or cheese) Slowly add the water, mixing gently with a spatula until you have a pliable dough.  You may not use all the water.

Divide the dough into pieces and roll into small balls - this recipe makes 8 or 9 balls.  Remember these will expand when cooked.

To cook, arrange the dumplings on top of a stew or casserole for the last 20 minutes of cooking time.  Allow space for the dumplings to expand.

Vegetarian Scotch Eggs

 

Ingredients

5 eggs;  4 for boiling, 1 for binding 

Olive oil 

2 shallots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1 black cardamom

Salt

3/4 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup flour, plus a little more th coat the boiled eggs

A few sprigs of flat parsley (just the leaves), chopped

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, plus a little more tform the outer coating of the scotch eggs

2 tbsp sesame seeds

Canola or vegetable oil for deep frying 

 

 

Method 

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the eggs and boil for 8 minutes. Pour awy the hot water, cover with cold water until cool before peeling.

 

In a frying pan, dry roast the cumin, coriander and cardamon until the aromas are released, taking care not to burn (about 2 mins max). Remove the seeds into a grinder and zap until powdered.

 

Heat a frying pan and add a little olive oil. Fry the shallots and garlic over a medium/low heat until softened.. Add the spice mix and salt to taste. Cook for a further minute.

 

Return this mix to the grinder or a food processor.  Add the chickpeas and zap until you have a textured paste. Transfer to a bowl and add the parsley, flour, breadcrumbs and extra egg. Combine with a spatula, squashing any chickpeas that are stlll whole.

 

Take two trays and sprinkle some flour onto one and  breadcrumbs and sesame seeds on the other.  Roll the boiled eggs in the flour. Wet your hands, then take a quarter of the chickpea paste and flatten it on the palm of your hand.  Place an egg in the middle and then gently wrap the egg in the mixture, patting the mixture around the egg until it is completely covered and evenly coated. Then, roll in the breadcrumb mix to coat, pressing gently to ensure they stick. Repeat with the other eggs.  

 

Fill a saucepan with enough vegetable oil so that it will cover the eggs. Heat until the oil until you can add some breadcrumbs and they sizzle and rise to the surface. Using a slotted spoon slide in the eggs, cooking in 2 at a time so that the oil stays hot and the eggs don't stick to each other. Cook for 2-3 minutes, rolling the eggs gently to ensure they cook evenly. Remove from the pan and place on paper towel on a plate while you cook the other eggs.

 

Halloumi and potato bake

This recipe is for two to three people. For 4 to 6, double everything.

Ingredients

4 potatoes, skin on, chopped into three pieces each

Olive oil

Salt

1/2 a large onion thinly sliced

1/2 a large zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced into semi-circles

1 small red capsicum sliced into long thin pieces

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp grated ginger

(Optional: I red chilli, deserved and chopped finely)

Black pepper

1 cup tomato passata

Large splash of red wine

Soy sauce to taste

1/3 pack of halloumi. Sliced into bite size pieces

Greek natural yoghurt.

Method 

Preheat the oven to 210C (no fan).

Place the potato pieces in a baking paper lined baking tray. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt and put in the oven. Roast until crispy (30 to 40 mins). Remove from oven and arrange the potatoes evenly on the bottom of a baking dish.

In a frying pan, add a splash of olive oil and fry the onions, zucchini and capsicum over a medium heat until soft. Then add the garlic and ginger (Optional, angle the chilli) and fry briefly. Add a little black pepper to taste. Add the pasata, the wine and a little soy sauce to taste. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour over the potatoes. Arrange the halloumi pieces evenly over the top and return the dish to the oven. Bake for 15 mins or until the halloumi starts to crisp.

Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

Orange Drizzle Cake

Ingredients

170g of butter, chopped into small cubes and at room temperature

170g caster sugar (or brown sugar)

2 eggs

4 small oranges (alternatively this cake can be made with lemons - substitute 2 large lemons for the oranges)

1 cup (170g) self raising flour

Icing sugar

Method

Pre,heat the oven to 190C (no fan).

In a large bowl whisk together the butter and sugar (I use an electric mixer) until smooth. Add the eggs, the zest and juice of two oranges and whisk again until.smooth. Add the flour and slowly food the mixture together with a spatula.

Spoon the mixture into a cake tin. I use a 20cm circular silicon cake mold as it's easy to get the cake out when cooked.

Bake for 27 minutes (this is the timing that works for my oven) or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Remove to a rack to cool.

In a small saucepan, add the juice of two oranges and 1 tbsp of icing sugar. (Double the sugar if using lemons). Cook slowly over a low heat, seeking constantly with a wooden spoon until you have a runny syrup.

With a toothpick, poke 20 or so holes evenly across the top of the cake. Pour the syrup over the cake so that it is absorbed evenly across the cake.

When cool, remove the cake to a plate. Dust with icing sugar. 

Harissa paste

This is a take on the North African/Middle Eastern sauce. Delicious with stir fried vegetables and couscous.

Ingredients

1/2 an onion., roughly chopped

3 cloves of garlic

1 red capsicum, deseeded and quartered

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp caraway seeds

3 to 7 dried chillies

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

2 tbsp tomato paste

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Olive oil

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 220C (no fan). Line a roasting pan with baking paper. Roast the onion, garlic and capsicum for about 15 mins until the edges begin to char. Remove from the oven to cool.

Meanwhile, dry toast the 3 kinds of seeds in a frying pan for 1 or 2 mins. Then place in a spice grinder/blender with the chillies and zap until powdered. Add the tomato paste, salt, paprika and lemon juice and zap to a smooth paste. Remove the paste into a separate bowl. No need to wash the grinder yet!

Remove the skin from the capsicum, then put the capsicum, onion and garlic into the grinder and zap to a smooth paste.

Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a frying pan then add the capsicum paste. Fry gently over a medium heat for 3 minutes or so, then add in the spice paste. Stir and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes.

Store in a sterilized jar (jam jar). This paste will keep for 3 or 4 weeks in the fridge. 

Chicken Paprika Casserole

Ingredients

Olive oil for frying

600g Boneless chicken thighs, chopped into chunks

2 onions, roughly chopped

2 slices of bacon, finely chopped

1 dried chilli, finely chopped

4 button mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 cup chicken stock

Large splash of red wine

1 cup tomato passata

2 tsp sweet paprika

(Optional) hand full of black pitted olives

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp cornfour

Large handful of baby spinach leaves.

Method

In a large saucepan over a medium heat, drizzle in some olive oil and fry the onions and bacon until the onions soften. Add the mushrooms, garlic and chilli and stir fry.

In a separate frying pan, drizzle in some olive oil and fry the chicken until browned. Drain any excess fat and add to the saucepan. Add the bay leaf, stock, wine and passata. Bring to a simmer then add salt and pepper to taste. Add in the paprika (and optional olives).

Meanwhile heat the oven to 200C. 

In a cup mix the cornflour with a little water and whisk with a fork until smooth. Add to the saucepan and stir thoroughly to mix through. 

Add the spinach on top, place a lid on the saucepan and cook for a minute or so until the spinach has wilted.

Transfer to a deep casserole dish and place in the centre of the oven for around 45 mins. 

Serve with crusty bread.  Serves 3 or 4.

Alternatively add herb dumplings to the dish for the last 25 mins of cooking time.

Chicken and Daikon (Soko's recipe)

Ingredients

1 &1/2 daikon radishes (or 2 smaller ones), cut into fat rings and peeled (keep the peel for kimpira), then halved into semi-circles.

1 & 1/2 kg boneless chicken thighs (or chicken legs)

Oil for frying

2 packs dashi powder

3 tbsp of tsuyu

6 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp sake

2 tbsp mirin

5 tbsp sugar

Method

In a frying pan, heat the oil and brown the chicken on all sides, then drain the fat.

Meanwhile bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the daikon until soft.

In a pressure cooker, add the chicken, the daik on with the water it was boiled in and all the other ingredients.

Cook for 20 mins at high pressure.

Kimpira

You can make this with gobo (burdock root) or, as we do in our family, all sorts of leftovers.  In the photo here I've used the peel of 1 & 1/2 daikon radishes, the stump of a broccoli and one carrot.  You'll need to adjust the other ingredients to match how much leftover vegetables you are using.

Ingredients

Vegetable leftovers chopped julienne

Sesame oil, for frying

1/3 cup dashi

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp sake

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry all the vegetables including the chilli for 2 to 3 mins until.they start to soften. Add all the other ingredients except the sesame seeds and cook over a medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Remove from the heat, add the sesame seeds and mix.

Serve hot or cold with rice.

Cauliflower Cheese

Ingredients

1 Cauliflower, divided into florets

Salt and pepper for seasoning

40g butter

1 & 1/2 tbsp plain flour

1 cup milk

1 & 1/2 cups grated cheese (I prefer to use 1 cup mozzarella for the sauce and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheddar or other mature cheese.

Method

Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the cauliflower and cook for 5 to 10 mins to desired softness/crunchiness.

Drain and place in oven-proof casserole dish. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200C

In a nonstick pan, melt the butter over a low heat. When melted, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth paste. Add a little of the milk and stir to a smooth paste. Keep adding the milk in small batches, taking care to stir to remove all lumps before continuing. Repeat until you have a smooth creamy sauce. Don't worry if there is milk left over.

Note: it is important to do this relatively quickly or the butter will start to brown. If you need to take more time, remove the pan from the heat while you are stirring in each batch of milk.

Now add 1 cup of cheese to the sauce and stir gently over a low heat until the cheese melts. If the sauce is now too thick add a little more milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the sauce over the cauliflower in the casserole dish.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese over the top and place in the oven. Bake for about 20 mins until golden.

Optional: to serve more people you can add a broccoli to the cauliflower

 

Passionfruit Cheese Cookies

Ingredients
250g cream cheese, room temperature
125g cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar 

2 eggs 

Pulp of 6 to 8 Passion Fruit 

1 &1/2 cups plain flour 

2 tsp baking powder 

granulated sugar and icing sugar to coat the cookies

Method

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the butter and cream cheese.

Then add the sugar and mix again.

Add the eggs and the passion fruit and mix gently. Add the flour and mix thoroughly until smooth.

Using a teaspoon, scoop small balls of the sticky dough and place on a tray. Put in the freezer for 30 to 40 minutes.  

Pre-heat the oven to 180C

Remove the cookie dough balls from the freezer. With your hands roll each individually into a firm ball, dip in the granulated sugar to coat and then into the icing suger to coat again. Place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and press down to flatten slightly. Make sure there is plenty of space between each cookie for them to expand X2. You may need to do this in batches.

Bake for 14 or 15 minutes.

This recipe makes approximately 30 cookies.

Lentil Cottage Pie ( & Pasta Bake)

For the lentil mixture

Ingredients

Olive oil for frying

2 onions finely chopped 

2 celery stalks finely chopped 

3 medium carrots chopped 

4 garlic cloves finely chopped 

5 white mushrooms, chopped

500g green lentils rinsed 

1/4 cup white wine 

l litre vegetable stock 

1/4 cup tomato puree (passatta)

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

2 tbsp thyme 

1 can of sweet corn, drained

handful of frozen peas 

2 tbsp flour 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Method 

In a large pan heat the oil and the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and  a low/medium heat for about 3 minutes until softened stirring often. Add the mushrooms and continue to fry for another minute. Add the wine and the lentils and cook for 2 minutes stirring often. Add half of the stock, cover, and simmer for 6 minutes. Add the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, corn, peas and the rest of the stock, stir, cover and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Sprinkle the flour over the top and stir until no longer visible. Cook for a couple of minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Option 1 - Cottage pie

Ingredients

Depending on how big a pie you wish to make, double these ingredients if needed.

5 potatoes peeled and halved

Salt to taste

2 tbsp milk 

1 tbsp butter

Grated cheddar cheese to loosely cover the potatoes.

Method

Boil the potatoes in salted water until cooked. Drain and return to the pan. Add the milk and butter and mash until smooth and creamy. 

Put as much of the lentil mixture as you'd like into a pie tray. Top with the mashed potato, scatter the cheese over the potato and bake in the oven at 200C for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and serve.

Option 2 - Pasta bake

Ingredients

1 pack pasta - penne, shells, twists - whatever you like, cooked as per pack instructions and drained.

Grated cheddar cheese to loosely cover the pasta.

Method

Combine the cooked pasta and as much of the lentil mixture as you'd like in a pie tray. Scatter the cheese over the potato and bake in the oven at 200C for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and serve.

NOTE: I usually have left over lentil mixture which I freeze to use to create quick pasta bake dinners when in a rush.

Giant Sausage Roll

Ingredients
80g salted butter
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
250g smoked bacon bits
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp Italian mixed herbs
Handful of parsley, chopped
A few sprigs of chopped thyme
Zest of 1 lemon
200g breadcrumbs
500g chicken mince
250g pork mince
2 eggs
2 or 3 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted

Method
Heat butter and oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the bacon, onion and garlic  for 6-7 minutes until onion is softened. For the last minute add the Italian mixed herbs. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and add the parsley, thyme, lemon zest and breadcrumbs. Cool, then combine with the minced meats.  Add 1 egg and mix well. 

Preheat oven to 200°C. 

Whisk the other egg to make the eggwash. Shape the mince into 5cm-thick logs along the centre of the defrosted puff pastry sheets. You may have 2 or 3. Brush edges of the pastry with eggwash and roll up to enclose filling. Place the sausage rolls onto tray(s) lined with baking paper. Brush the top with eggwash, sprinkle with a little salt and with a sharp knife make a couple of diagonal slits into the top of the pastry for each roll.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.

Serve as is or with gravy.

Passion Fruit Pavlova

Ingredients

For the meringue

4 egg whites

16 tbsp caster sugar (4 spoons for each white)

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

2 tsp cornflour

1 tsp  vanilla extract

For the cream topping

400ml of fresh cream

4 tablespoons caster sugar

To decorate

Pulp of 4 to 6 passion fruit (depending on size)

Method

Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they are stiff and form soft peaks. Then add the sugar and beat again.  Add the vinegar, cornflour and vanilla extract and fold together with a spatula. 

Heat the oven to 180C. Line a tray with baking paper. Using a side plate and a pencil, draw a circle on the paper. Spoon the meringue mixture into the circle as evenly as you can. 

Place in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 150C. Cook for approximately 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the mixture in the oven to cool completely to cold..

Remove only when they are cold.

Remove from the oven and place on a serving plate.

Beat the cream with the caster sugar with an electric mixer until it is whipped and forms soft peaks. Spoon evenly onto the meringue..Decorate with the passion fruit pulp, then place the pavlova in the fridge until it's time to eat.

Agedashidofu (deep fried tofu in an umami sauce)

Ingredients

2 X 300g pack of silken tofu

Potato flour or cornflour, a handful. 

Oil for deep frying

2/3 cup of dashi (I prefer konbu dashi) 

1 & 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 & 1/2 tbsp mirin

1/2 tsp sugar

1 Spring onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) 

Method

To prepare the tofu from frying arrange a paper towel on a small plate for each block of tofu. Place the tofu carefully on the paper towel. Then place another paper towel on top of each block. Fold the paper towels to cover the sides of the tofu. Now place a second small plate on top of each block. This should drain excess water from the tofu. Let stand for 20 mins, then carefully remove the tofu to a chopping board and cut each block into 6 cubes.

Heat the oil.

In a tray, sprinkle a handful of flour. Taking care not to break the tofu, coat the tofu in the flour on all sides.

When the oil is hot, deep fry the tofu until it begins to go crisp and is slightly browned. If using fresh oil there will be minimal browning! Remove to a dish covered in paper towel.

In a saucepan, add the dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Bring to a gentle boil and then removed from heat.

To serve, like the tofu cubes in a dish. Carefully pour some of the sauce down the side of the dish so that the majority of the tofu remains crisp. You want just enough sauce for dipping, not swimming!

Top the tofu with a sprinkle of onion, ginger and katsuobushi. 

Buta no kakuni (braised pork belly)

Ingredients

Approx 1 kg of pork belly, rind removed, cut into 5cm cubes,

Splash of canola (or other neutral) oil for frying 

Green parts of 2 or 3 spring onions, roughly chopped

3 or 4 thin slices of fresh ginger

1 cup sake

Water

1/2 cup mirin

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp sugar.

Method

In a frying pand, add the oil and gently brown the pork on all sides.

Put the pork in a pressure cooker. Add the onion, ginger and sake, then add enough water to cover the pork. Seal the pressure cooker, heat until at pressure then reduce the heat and cook for 30 mins.

Release the pressure. Remove the pork (carefully, it will be very soft) to a saucepan. Remove the ginger and onion from the stock (remaining liquid). Pour half the stock in the saucepan with the pork. Put the rest in a container and freeze to use in groups or sauces.

Add the soy sauce, mirin and sugar to the pan*. Bring to a boil then simmer gently for about 30 mins or until the sauce reduces and thickens.

*Alternatives: add soft boiled eggs and/or thick sliced rounds of daikon (white radish) to the saucepan. You may need to increase the amount of liquids proportionately.