This week's meals

The meals for this week are:

Monday - Roasted Tomato and Goat's Cheese Pasta
Tuesday - Zucchini and Feta Fritters with Corn Salsa
Wednesday - Beany Enchiladas
Thursday - Zucchini, Broad Bean, Chilli and Feta Pizza
Friday - Cheesy scrambled eggs with roasted asparagus on sourdough

Ingredients:

Fresh Produce
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
1 red onion
3 zucchini
2 ripe tomatoes
1 lime
Coriander
1 carrot
3 large handfuls salad leaves
1 lebanese cucumber
1 red capsicum
300 grams broad beans
1 long red chilli
2 bunches asparagus

1 roasted red capsicum

100 grams marinated goat's cheese
250 grams feta cheese
300 grams tasty cheese

50 grams butter
225 ml milk

8 eggs

Sourdough bread

Dry Goods
1 packet small pasta shapes of your choice
1 cup self raising flour
400 gram tin corn kernals
800 gram tin crushed tomatoes
6 herbed flour tortillas
7 grams dried yeast (1 sachet)
2 tablespoons honey
1 kilo flour

Cupboard Staples
Olive oil
Dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
Cumin
Coriander
Red wine vinegar
Dijon mustard

Roasted Tomato and Goat's Cheese Pasta

I'll admit, it's taken me a while to come around, but his persistance has finally come to fruition. At first I was put off by his earthiness, and musky smell. It reminded me of the unwashed, and I had no desire for that to take up residence on my dinner plate. But then, with a little convincing, I encountered his sweeter side, the side you can only experience when you let him roll around your tongue. And with that I was hooked - my love affair with goat's cheese had begun!

Roasted Tomato and Goat's Cheese pasta

1 packet small pasta of your choice
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 red onion, cut into wedges and separated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 good pinch dried oregano
1 roasted red capsicum, cut into strips

100 grams marinated goat's cheese


1 - Preheat oven to 200 C. Place the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, red onion and oregano in a lined baking dish, and roast for 25 - 30 minutes.

2 - Meanwhile, cook pasta according to packet instructions, or until al dente. Drain well.

3 - Combine the pasta, roasted veg, capsicum strips and mix well. Serve onto plates, then top with goat's cheese. Serve with a crunchy green salad.

Zucchini and Feta Fritters with Corn Salsa

I love this corn salsa - it's such a healthy, fresh taste, and the lime really gives it a nice Creole kinda kick!

Zucchini and Feta Fritters with Corn Salsa

Fritters

1 zucchini, grated
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon dried chilli flakes (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
100 grams feta cheese, crumbled


1 - Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl with a fork, so that no flour lumps remain.

2 - Heat a fry pan over a medium high heat. Drop a soup spoon's worth of batter into the pan, then spread them out a bit to flattened them. Cook for 2ish minutes, or until you see the bubbles begin to form, then flip them over and cook for another couple of minutes. Remover, then cover to keep warm until all the batter is gone.


Corn Salsa

2 ripe tomatoes, core removed and roughly diced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 can corn kernals, drained well
juice of one lime
1 teaspooon of the best olive oil you possess
coriander leaves, to serve

1 - Add all the ingredients together, and mix well, so the juice intermingle. Just before serving, top with coriander leaves.

Beany enchiladas

This is very similar to the enchilada recipe found here, except this time I used herby tortillas, and no enchilada sauce. Still good - just not with the saucy kick!

Beany Enchiladas

800 gram tin crushed tomatoes
400 gram tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 zucchini, grated
6 herbed flour tortillas
100 grams grated tasty cheese
3 large handfuls salad leaves
1 Lebanese cucumber, roughly diced
50 grams feta cheese, crumbled
1 red capsicum, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 - Heat a large pan over a medium hot heat. Add the tomatoes, beans, chilli flakes, carrot, zucchini and 1/2 a cup of water to the pan, and bring to the boil.

2 - Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes or so, until the mixture is nice and thick.

3 - Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 C. Lay each tortilla on a flat surface, and spread with some of the filling. Roll up the tortilla, and place snugly in a baking dish. Repeat with other 5 tortillas.

4 - Top the enchiladas with the tasty cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbling. Set aside for a couple of mintues to cool before serving.

5 - Put the lettuce and cucumber in a bowl together. Mix together the oil, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl, then pour over the salad. Serve with the enchiladas.

Zucchini, Broad Bean, Chilli and Feta pizza

I was sitting on the kitchen bench the other day (a habit I've since childhood), pondering exactly what to do with my freshly podded broad beans. I was getting a little sick of having them with pasta, but still wanted a bit of a broad bean-feta mix thing going on. "Aha!", I suddenly thought. "I'll spike them with a bit of chilli. Genius!" And with that thought I gave the kitchen cupboards a little kick with my feet in celebration of my own superior brain power.

Except... you can't really just eat a whole bowlful of broadbeans with chilli and feta. Well, I could, but I'm sure Grumbles and Galumph would be asking where the rest of the meal was. So then I came up with the sterling idea of putting them on top of a pizza, with super thin strips of zucchini. Scathingly brilliant, oui?! Four out of five kicked up kitchen cupboards can't be wrong!

Zucchini, Broad Bean, Chilli and Feta pizza

Pizza Base: (makes enough for four bases)

Please note that this recipe only has enough topping for two pizzas, so put the other two spare bases in the freezer, and save them for a rainy day!

7 grams dried yeast (1 sachet)
2 tablespoons honey
600 ml warmish water
1 kilo flour

1 - Mix the yeast and warm water together, then stir in the honey until it is dissolved. Let rest for a couple of minutes.

2 - Put the flour in a bowl, then make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture slowly, mixing the dough together with a fork. Turn out onto a well floured bench top, then knead the dough for five minutes, or until elastic and smooth.

3 - Put the dough back into the bowl, and cover with cling wrap. Let sit for an hour or so in a warm, draft-free place, until the dough has doubled in size.

4 - Grab the dough, and divide into four balls. Roll out each ball of dough to fit your very lightly oiled pizza tray. It's now ready for it's topping.

Topping

300 grams broad beans, podded and blanched with skins removed.
1 zucchini, thinly sliced (I used a wide plane grater)
1 long red chilli, finely diced
100 grams feta, crumbled
100 grams tasty cheese or mozzarella

1 - Preheat the oven to 220 C.

2 - Place half the tasty cheese on each of the pizza bases. Top with the chilli, feta and broad beans, scattering them evenly.

3 - Top with the zucchini, layering over the pizza in a lattice pattern. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the base is cooked through.

Cheesy Scrambled Eggs with Roasted Aspragus on Sourdough

Who says scrambled eggs can only be a breakfast dish? It's actually quite perfect as an end of week supper dish. And let's face it - who has the time in the morning for these sorts of shenanigans? Certainly not moi! So supper it is, and a very good supper it makes, too.

Cheesy scrambled eggs with Roasted Aspragus on sourdough

2 bunches asparagus, woody ends trimmed
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and pepper
6 eggs
50 grams butter
100 ml milk
100 grams tasty cheese, grated
sourdough bread, to serve

1 - Preheat oven to 200 C. Lay the aspargus in a baking dish, and toss with the olive oil. Top with freshly ground pepper and salt, then roast for 25 - 30 minutes, or until tender. (If you have really big fat stalks, it may take a wee bit longer).

2 - Once aspargus is done, melt the butter in a large non-stick pan. Beat the eggs in a bowl, then add the milk, mixing in well. Pour into pan, then cook gently, stirring continually, until the eggs are well scrambled and cooked. Add the cheese, take off the heat, and mix in well.

3 - Whilst eggs are cooking, toast the bread. Cut in half and place on plate. Top with aspragus spears, then a good heaping of the eggs. Serve immediately.

This week's meals

Sorry about the break last week, folks. We had my dad down from the country for a visit, and there was lots of being out and about!

However, to make it up to you, this week has a theme - Italian week! I hope you enjoy my take on some Italian classics. We did, bwahahahah!

Monday - Penne with Snow Peas, Broccoli and Feta
Tuesday - Roasted Vegetable Risotto
Wednesday - Olive and Tomato Pizza
Thursday - Ravioli with Butter Tomato Sauce
Friday - Sorry, you're left to fend for your own. Check out the archives!

Ingredients:

Fresh Produce
1 head broccoli
100 grams snow peas
1/2 small pumpkin
3 Roma tomatoes
1 zucchini
3 onions
2 cloves garlic

Dry Goods
1 packet penne
Garlic infused olive oil
2 cups aborio rice
7 grams dried yeast
2 tablespoons honey
1 kilo flour
2 x 800 gram tin crushed tomatoes

100 grams feta
Parmesan cheese
200 grams tasty cheese or mozarella
100 grams butter
100 grams pitted kalamata olives
1 packet filled ravioli (or pasta of your choice)

1.5 litres vegetable stock

Cupboard Staples
Olive oil
Dried oregano

Penne with Snow Peas, Broccoli and Feta

For this recipe I dressed the pasta in garlic olive oil. If you can't find that, it's really easy to make your own - just finely chop a clove or two of garlic and let marinate in the olive oil whilst the pasta is cooking. Too easy!

Penne with Snow Peas, Broccoli and Feta

1 packet penne
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
100 grams snow peas, destringed and sliced
100 grams feta, crumbled
3 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil

1 - Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to packet directions. Two minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli and snow peas. Cook until al dente, then drain.

2 - Put the pasta and veggies back in the pan, and combine with olive oil and feta. Serve immediately, seasoning with freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Roasted Vegetable Risotto

Comfort food at it's best, this one. And with four vegetables, you've almost hit your '5 a day' quota in one go - huzzah!

Roasted vegetable risotto

1/2 small pumpkin, cut into smallish squares
3 Roma tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 zucchini, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1.5 litres vegetable stock or water
2 cups arborio rice
Parmesan cheese, to serve


1 - Heat oven to 200 C. Place the pumpkin and tomatoes in a roasted pan, toss with a little olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30ish minutes, or until tender. Set aside.

2 - Meanwhile, heat the stock until it is simmering. In another saucepan (a large one), heat the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and cook until golden and tender. Add the rice and let it cook for a couple of minutes, or until the rice becomes translucent.

3 - Add the stock one ladleful at a time, letting the rice absorb it before adding more. Continue in this way until almost all of the stock is used up, and the rice is almost al dente. Add the zucchini alongside the rest of the stock, and finish the cooking.

4 - Stir in the pumpkin and tomato carefully (you don't want to squish the veggies too much), then serve topped with parmesan if desired.

Olive and tomato pizza

This pizza is so good, and so easy. I love the saltiness that the olives bring to the party. Goes down very, very well with a nice cold beer!

Olive and tomato pizza

Pizza Base: (makes enough for four bases)

7 grams dried yeast (1 sachet)
2 tablespoons honey
600 ml warmish water
1 kilo flour

1 - Mix the yeast and warm water together, then stir in the honey until it is dissolved. Let rest for a couple of minutes.

2 - Put the flour in a bowl, then make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture slowly, mixing the dough together with a fork. Turn out onto a well floured bench top, then knead the dough for five minutes, or until elastic and smooth.

3 - Put the dough back into the bowl, and cover with cling wrap. Let sit for an hour or so in a warm, draft-free place, until the dough has doubled in size.

4 - Grab the dough, and divide into four balls. Roll out each ball of dough to fit your very lightly oiled pizza tray. It's now ready for the toppings.


Pizza Sauce: (for two pizzas)

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
800 gram tin crushed tomatoes
1 pinch dried oregano

1 - Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion. Cook until golden and tender, then add the garlic. Cook for another minute more.

2 - Add the tomatoes and oregano. Bring to the boil, then let simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the sauce is lovely and thick. Set aside to cool.


Topping: (for two pizzas)

Pizza dough, as above
Pizza sauce, as above
200 grams tasty cheese or mozzarella, grated
100 grams pitted kalamata olives

1 - Heat the oven to 220 C. Place the rolled out dough on a well oiled tray. Set aside.

2 - Spread some sauce onto each pizza piece. Scatter over the cheese and olives, then bake at 220 C for 10 minutes (give or take depending upon your oven), or until cheese is golden and bubbling, and base is cooked through. Cut each pizza into six slices, and serve.

Ravioli with Butter Tomato Sauce

This is what's known around our place as the 'end of week cheat'. You're kinda cooking (as in your make the sauce) but you're also making your own life easy by using some pre-prepared filled pasta. And at the end of a long week, there's no shame in that!

Ravioli with Butter Tomato Sauce

1 packet ravioli of choice (we used pumpkin and almond, and it was gooooooood!)
800 gram tin crushed tomatoes
100 grams butter
1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
Parmesan cheese, to serve

1 - Put the tomato, butter and onion into a saucepan, and cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes or so, mixing well.

2 - Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet directions. Drain well, then serve with sauce on top. Sprinkle of parmesan, if desired.

This week's meals

The meals for this week are:

Monday - Asparagus and Broad Bean Pasta Bake
Tuesday - Corn Fritters with Salad and Lime Mayonnaise
Wednesday - Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Thursday - Asparagus, Corn and Cheese Lasagne
Friday - Tofu Burgers

Ingredients:

Fresh Produce
3 bunches asparagus
300 grams broad bean pods
1 lemon
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
1 avocado
1 lime
1 sweet potato
1 tomato
1 carrot
Loose lettuce leaves

1 bread bun per person

2 eggs

300 ml sour cream
1/2 cup milk + 500 ml milk
200 grams tasty cheese
200 grams parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
50 grams butter
1 packet flavoured tofu

Dry Goods
500 grams orecchiette
2 x 400 gram tin corn kernels
1 packet fettucine
1 small jar Sundried Tomato Pesto
1 packet lasagne sheets

Cupboard Staples
1 cup self raising flour
dried chili flakes
olive oil

Asparagus and Broad Bean pasta bake

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed, and stalks cut into thirds
300 grams broad beans, podded
500 grams orecchiette
juice of one lemon
300 ml sour cream
salt and pepper, to taste
100 grams tasty cheese, grated

1 - Bring a smallish saucepan of water to the boil. Cook the broad beans for 2 - 3 minutes, then drain.

2 - When cooled, removed the grey skin from the broad beans. Set the beans aside.

3 - Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to packet directions, add the asparagus 2 minutes before the pasta is cooked. Drain well.

4 - Preheat the oven to 200 C. In a large baking dish, combine the pasta, asparagus and broad beans. Add the lemon juice and sour cream, and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then top with the grated cheese.

5 - Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve with a nice green salad.

Corn fritters with salad and lime mayonnaise

This meal also makes a nice weekend breakfast, if you don't mind sacrificing your lie-in. Otherwise, keep it for dinner and enjoy. Oh, and do try to make the lime mayo - it really gives the dish a real kick!

Corn Fritters

400 gram tin corn kernals, drained
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon dried chilli flakes (or more to taste)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 - Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl with a fork, so that no flour lumps remain.

2 - Heat a fry pan over a medium high heat. Drop a soup spoon's worth of batter into the pan, then spread them out a bit to flattened them. Cook for 2ish minutes, or until you see the bubbles begin to form, then flip them over and cook for another couple of minutes. Remover, then cover to keep warm until all the batter is gone.

Salad

2 handfuls baby spinach leaves, washed well and dried
1 avocado, cut into little chunks

Lime Mayonnaise

1/2 cup whole egg mayonnaise
Juice of one lime

Assemblage

1 - Place some of the spinach leaves and avocado on each plate.

2 - Mix the mayo and lime juice together. Drizzle over the salad on each plate.

3 - Top the salad with 2 or 3 fritters each, then serve.

Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta

You really, really cannot beat the old pasta-and-pesto combo. It's quick, flavoursome and perfect for a mid-week meal. And if you chuck some roasted veggies into the mix, then it becomes healthy with a minimum of fuss. Bwahahahah!

Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1 largish sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 quantity of fettucine
1 small jar of Sundried Tomato Pesto

1 - Preheat the oven to 200 C. Place the sweet potato in a roasting dish, and toss with the olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

2 - Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet directions, or until al dente. Drain, then place back in the pan.

3 - Toss as much pesto as you fancy in with the pasta, alongside the sweet potatoes. Mix thoroughly, then serve with a nice green salad.

Asparagus, corn and cheese lasagne

Spring has arrived, which means asparagus. Hooray!

Asparagus, Corn and Cheese Lasagne

2 bunches asparagus, woody ends removed, and stalks cut in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 packet lasagne sheets
400 gram tin corn kernals, drained
50 grams butter
2 tablespoons flour
500 ml milk
1 cup grated tasty cheese
100 grams parmesan cheese, grated

1 - Preheat oven to 200 C. Place the asparagus in a roasting pan, and toss with the olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.

2 - Meanwhile, soak the lasagne sheets in some water while the asparagus is roasting. This will make them lovely and tender once cooked.

3 - Make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter over a medium heat, then stir in the flour so a paste forms. Slowly add the milk, stirring hard so that no lumps appear. Add only a little milk at a time, keeping the sauce thick. Once all the milk is gone, and the sauce is nice and gloopy, add the cheese. Let the cheese melt, then take off the heat.

4 - Dry the lasagne sheets on a clean towel (dur, as if you'd use a grubby one!), then place a layer in a large baking dish. Spread over 1/3 of the cheese sauce, then top with half the asparagus and half the corn. Top with another layer of lasagne, then with another third of the cheese sauce, and the rest of the asparagus and corn. Top with another lasagne sheet layer, the rest of the sauce, then sprinkle the top with the parmesan cheese. Bake for 36 - 40 minutes, or until the lasagne sheets are tender, and the top is golden and bubbling. Serve with a crunchy green salad.

Tofu burgers

Tells ya what, these are just the thing for a lazy Friday night dinner. Easy to make, easy to eat.

Tofu Burgers

1 bun per person
1 tomato, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and grated
2 - 3 lettuce leaves per person
1 packet of flavoured tofu, cut into four pieces
grated tasty cheese
mayonnaise

1 - Cut open each bun, and spread with mayonnaise. Top with the carrot, lettuce leaves and tomato.

2 - Meanwhile, heat a frypan over a medium heat. Cook the tofu for 2ish minutes, or until heated through.

3 - Put tofu on bun, then serve.

This week's meals

The meals for this week are:

Monday - No-Cook Tacos
Tuesday - Pumpkiny Vegetable and Chickpea Curry
Wednesday - Corn Chowder withe Veggie Roll Ups
Thursday - Vegetarian Enchiladas
Friday - Chilli Beetroot Dip with Marinated Goat's Cheese followed by Broad Bean and Lemon Risotto

Ingredients:

Fresh Produce
1 avocado
2 Lebanese cucumbers
100 grams cherry tomatoes
1 lime
3 onions
1/4 small pumpkin
1 eggplant
2 red capsicums
1 head broccoli
3 potatoes
3 carrots
1 iceberg lettuce
2 lemons
1 zucchini
3 large handfuls salad leaves
6 beetroot
300 grams broad beans in pods

Dry Goods
2 taco shells per person
1 packet (10 pieces) wholemeal Sorj bread
4 flour tortillas
400 gram tin red kidney beans
400 gram tin coconut milk
400 gram tin chickpeas (garbanzos)
800 gram tin corn kernals
800 gram tin crushed tomatoes
1 small jar enchilada sauce
2 cups arborio rice

2.5 litres vegetable stock

1 small tub sour cream
1 small tub hommus dip
50 grams butter
200 grams tasty cheese
100 grams feta cheese
100 grams marinated goat's cheese
100 grams parmesan cheese

Cupboard Staples
Olive oil
Red curry paste
Brown rice
Chilli flakes
Red wine vinegar
Dijon mustard

No-cook tacos

I was so tired the other night. Truly, the last thing I wanted to do was cook. Where was Jeeves when you needed him? But, alas, wishing on an imaginary Jeeves won't put dinner on the table. I gave a sigh of resignation, and took stock of my fridge and cupboards. I found a crisp cucumber, an avocado that really needed to be used, some new season cherry tomates and a pack of taco shells. A half smile began to play on my face. "Whoa-ho-ho!", I thought. "I may not cook tonight, but I can certainly come up with the goods for dinner!"

And thus the no-cook taco was born.

No-Cook Tacos


2 taco shells per person
400 gram tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, diced
1 Lebanese cucumber, diced
100 grams cherry tomatoes, quartered
Juice of one lime
100 grams tasty cheese, grated
1 small tub sour cream

1 - In a bowl, mix together the beans, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes and lime juice. Set aside for 15 minutes or so, to allow the flavours to mingle.

2 - When ready, quickly heat the tacos in a hot oven as per the packet directions. Stuff each taco with the bean mix, then top with cheese and sour cream and dig in!

Pumpkiny Vegetable and Chickpea Curry

The secret to making this taste pumpkin rich is to cut the pumpkin into little squares, and add it right at the very beginning. It breaks down and mixes with the coconut milk, creating a rich pumpkiny sauce for the other vegetables - delish!

Pumpkiny Vegetable and Chickpea Curry

1 onion, finely diced
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons red curry paste
1/4 small pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1 cm squares
400 gram tin coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water (375ml)
1 eggplant, diced
1 red capsicum, diced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
400 gram tin chickpeas (garbanzos), rinsed and drained
Steamed brown rice, to serve

1 - Heat the oil over a medium high heat in a large pan. Add the onion, and cook until the onion is golden and tender.

2 - Add the curry paste, and cook for another minute more.

3 - Add the coconut milk, water, eggplant and pumpkin, and bring to the boil. Lower heat, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.

4 - Add the capsicum and simmer for 5 minutes more.

5 - Add the chickpeas and broccoli, and cook for another few minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Serve over the brown rice.

Corn Chowder with Veggie Roll Ups

This slightly spicy soup is just the thing to take the edge off a chilly spring evening, with the corn being a welcome reminder of the balmy days to come.

Corn Chowder

1 onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chilli flakes
800 gram tin corn kernals, drained and rinsed
3 potatoes, peeled and diced into 2 cm pieces
1 red capsicum, diced
1 litre vegetable stock
50 grams feta cheese, crumbled

1 - Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, and cook until golden and tender. Add the chilli flakes, and cook a minute more.

2 - Add the corn, potato, capsicum and stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the potato is tender. Set aside to cool.

3 - Remove half the soup and puree it. Return to the pan, reheat, then serve. Garnish with feta, and coriander if you like. Serve with the veggie roll ups.

Veggie Roll Ups

3 pieces wholemeal Sorj bread
1 small tub hommus dip
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 iceberg lettuce, washed well and sliced thinly
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 - Place each piece of Sorj bread out onto a flat surface. Spread with the hommus dip.

2 - Layer the carrot and lettuce on top then sprinkly with some of the lemon juice. Roll up each piece of bread, then cut into threes. Repeat with remaining bread. Serve with chowder.

Vegetarian Enchiladas

I was poking around in my cupboard the other day, and found a jar of enchilada sauce. Although I had absolutely no recollection of buying it, I wasn't about to let that stop me using it! Usually I like to make everything from scratch, but I wasn't about to look a Mexican gift horse in the mouth. So I kept poking around and discovered some tortillas, some beans and a few rubbery carrots in the frige. Perfect! So here we have enchiladas, Leisl-style: completely off the cuff, but damn good nonetheless.

Vegetarian Enchiladas

800 gram tin crushed tomatoes

400 gram tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 zucchini, grated
4 flour tortillas
1 small jar hot enchilada sauce
100 grams grated tasty cheese
3 large handfuls salad leaves
1 Lebanese cucumber, roughly diced
50 grams feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 - Heat a large pan over a medium hot heat. Add the tomatoes, beans, chilli flakes, carrot, zucchini and 1/2 a cup of water to the pan, and bring to the boil.

2 - Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes or so, until the mixture is nice and thick.

3 - Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 C. Lay each tortilla on a flat surface, and spread with some of the filling. Roll up the tortilla, and place snugly in a baking dish. Repeat with other 3 tortillas.

4 - Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled tortillas, then top with the tasty cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbling. Set aside for a couple of mintues to cool before serving.

5 - Put the lettuce and cucumber in a bowl together. Mix together the oil, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl, then pour over the salad. Serve with the enchiladas.

Chilli Beetroot Dip with Marinated Goat's Cheese followed by Broad Bean and Lemon Risotto

We had friends over for dinner on Friday night, so I decided that elegant yet modern Italian would be just the thing. Enjoy!

Chilli and Beetroot Dip with Marinated Goat's Cheese

6 beetroot, peeled and diced into largish chunks

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

100 grams marinated goat's cheese

3 pieces wholemeal Sorj bread, cut into 8cm squares

1 - Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the beetroot in a large roasting dish, and toss with the olive oil. Roast for 30 - 40 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool.

2 - Puree the beetroot and chilli flakes together, adding a teaspoon of water if it becomes too thick.

3 - Meanwhile, toast the Sorj bread in a hot oven for 2 minutes, or until crispy.

4 - Arrange the dip, the goat's cheese and Sorj bread nicely on a platter, and serve. The dip tastes awesome with some goat's cheese slathered in top!

Note: The dip will keep in the fridge for 4 days, and is great on toast, as a spread on burgers, or even as a vegetable side dish.

Broad Bean and Lemon Risotto

300 grams broad bean pods

50 grams butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

1.5 litres vegetable stock or water

2 cups arborio rice

Grated rind of one lemon

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 - Shell the broad beans. Bring a small pot of water to the boil, and add the beans, and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Drain, then set aside to cool.

2 - Once the beans are cool enough to handle, slip each one from it's little grey case. Set aside.

3 - Meanwhile, heat the stock until it is simmering. In another saucepan (a large one), heat the olive oil and butter together. When hot, add the onion and cook until golden and tender. Add the rice and lemon rind, and let it cook for a couple of minutes, or until the rice becomes translucent.

4 - Add the stock one ladleful at a time, letting the rice absorb it before adding more. Continue in this way until all the stock is used up, and the rice is al dente. Add the broad beans and parmesan cheese, and stir through gently, taking care not to squish the beans. Take off the heat, then serve, seasoning to taste, and with extra parmesan for those who like it cheesy. Accompany with a simple lettuce and cucumber salad.

Break in our normal broadcasting schedule

What a week - and I don't mean that in a good way. Between dealing with a dead rat that is currently stinking out our entire house from it's final (and unfortunate) resting place somewhere beneath the floor and one very sick little girl suffering from a ghastly bout of gastro, cooking and taking food pics hasn't really been very high on my list. In fact, we've been living off whatever poor old Grumbles can keep down (dry biscuits and pasta, mostly) in between fleeing the stench.

So many apologies to you all. Hopefully next week broadcasting of Dinner Daily will resume it's normal schedule. And in the meantime, here's to a much healthier and less stinky life!

xo Leisl

This week's meals

Sorry folks, but there are only four meals this week, as we had a visitor come and stay with us, which meant the Friday was spent out at a very yummy Vietnamese restaurant. Feel free to poke around in the archives - plenty of good ideas in there!

Monday - Lemony green pilaf
Tuesday - Thai lentil curry pies with corn on the cob
Wednesday - Pasta Primavera
Thursday - Vegetable Quesadillas
Friday - um, nothing. Sorry!

Ingredients required:

Fresh Produce
6 spring onions (scallions)
4 cloves garlic
4 big handfuls baby spinach leaves
2 lemons
1 onion
1/2 cauliflower
3 red capsicums
1 large sweet potato
1 head broccoli
100 grams green beans
1 corn cobb per person
2 bunches asparagus
3 zucchini
1/4 pumpkin
2 tomatoes

Coriander (cilantro)

1 egg per person

300 ml light cream
Parmesan cheese, to serve on top of pasta
200 grams grated tasty cheese

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 cup frozen peas

Dry Goods
1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup roasted cashew nuts
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 cup red lentils
400 ml tin coconut milk
500 grams spiral pasta
2 flour tortillas per person

Cupboard Staples
Olive oil
Sesame seeds
Dijon mustard

Lemony green pilaf

This is a most excellent way to start the week - full of leafy green goodness, and the nuts and eggs are a good way to get a protein boost. The brown rice, in particular, always has the effect of making me feel particularly virtuous.

If only I hadn't scoffed the chocolate pudding afterwards. Yikes!

Lemony green pilaf

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 spring onions (scallions), sliced roughly
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice, rinsed well
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
2 big handfuls baby spinach leaves
Juice and zest of one lemon
1 hard boiled egg per person, cut in half
1/3 cup cashew nuts, lightly roasted
Coriander (cilantro) to serve

1 - Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the spring onions. Cook for a minute or two, then add the lemon zest and garlic. Cook for a minute more.

2 - Add the rice and stock, then bring to the boil. Cover, and simmer over a low heat for 35 - 40 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Remove lid, then stir through the lemon juice and spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted, then serve, topped with the eggs, cashews and coriander to taste.

Thai lentil curry pies with corn on the cob

I love making these ramekin pies. It's basically just a really easy way of jazzing up a casserole - put it in the bowl, whack some pastry on top, then call it a pie. Brilliant! And if you serve it up to dinner guests, everybody does the big "Oooooh!" and "Ahhhhh!" thing, because it looks like you spent hours fiddling around in the kitchen. Big points for impressing people, all thanks to a little bit of pasty. Love it!

Thai lentil curry pies

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (or to taste)
1 onion, diced
1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets
1 red capsicum, diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
100 grams green beans, top and tailed, and cut into 3 cm lengths
1 cup red lentils
400 ml tin coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 sheet puff pastry
Sesame seeds

1 - Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, then add the onion and cook until golden and tender. Add the red curry paste, and cook for a minute or two more.

2 - Add the coconut milk, water and lentils, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until lentils are beginning to tenderise, add the sweet potato half way through.

3 - Add the remaining vegetables, and simmer, covered for 5 minutes, stirring often. The mixture should be nice and thick, with the lentils mushy.

4 - Preheat the oven to 200 C. Spoon the mixture into ramekins, then cover each ramekin with a piece of puff pastry. Lightly oil the pastry, and scatter with sesame seeds. Place the ramekins on a baking tray, then bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up and golden. Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes, then serve with the corn.

Corn on the cob

1 corn cob per person

1 - Fill a medium sized saucepan with salted water, and bring to the boil.

2 - Add the corn cobs, and cook for 5ish minutes. Remove from the water, then serve.

Pasta Primavera

Spring has finally arrived in old Melbourne town, which means asparagus. Hooray! You'll probably see a bit of it around here in the next few weeks, as the season is so short you simply have to make the most of it. So bring on the asparagus, and bring on the smelly wee!

Ahem. Onto the recipe :-)

Pasta Primavera

500 grams dried spiral pasta (I went for the giant spirals, just because I thought they looked cool)
2 bunches asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into shortish lengths
2 zucchini, ends removed, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas
300 ml light cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
grated rind of one lemon
freshly ground black pepper, to serve
Parmesan cheese, to serve


1 - Bring a large pot the the boil. Add the pasta, and cook until al dente, adding the asparagus, zucchini and peas about 4 minutes before the pasta is fully cooked. Drain.

2 - Meanwhile, put the cream, mustard, garlic and lemon rind in a large pan, and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer, then add the pasta and vegetables. Toss well to combine, then serve immediately, with pepper and parmesan to taste.

Vegetable Quesadillas

I have no idea how authentic these babies are, but man, do they taste good!

Vegetable Quesadillas

2 red capsicums
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves, washed well
1/4 pumpkin, peeled and sliced thinly
2 tomatoes, sliced
200 grams grated tasty cheese
2 flour tortillas per person
Olive oil, to grease

1 - Preheat the oven to 220 C. Cut each capsicum into quarters, and remove the inner core and seeds. Place the capsicum pieces on a baking tray lined with baking paper, and lightly grease each with a smidge of olive oil. Roast in the oven for 20ish minutes, or until the skin is bubbling and starting to blacken, then remove and place in a plastic bag.

2 - Once the capsicums have cooled down, remove them from the bag, and remove the skin (putting them in the bag whilst hot lets the steam work it's magic on the skin, making it far easier to remove). Slice up roughly.

3 - Meanwhile, turn the oven down to 200 C. Place the pumpkin slices on a baking tray lined with paper, and roast for 15 - 20 minutes, until tender.

4 - Heat a chargrill pan over a medium high heat, and grill the zucchini slices for 3 minutes on each side, or until the pan leaves grill marks.

5 - Heat either a flat non-stick pan or a sandwhich maker, and brush with oil. Place each tortilla on a flat surface. Place some spinach leaves on the tortilla, then top with the capsicum, pumpkin, zucchini, tomatoes and cheese. Place the other tortilla on top, then cook on the sandwhich maker/pan for 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Cut into quarters, then serve.

This week's meals

The meals for this week are:

Monday - Spinach, tomato and potato dhal with roasted honey pumpkin
Tuesday - Falafels
Wednesday - Bean and Vegetable Curry
Thursday - Pesto Pasta with Feta and Pumpkin
Friday - Gnocchi with sweet potato puree

Ingredients required:

Fresh Produce
2 brown onions
6 salad potatoes
6 tomatoes
2 large handfuls spinach leaves
800 grams pumpkin
1/2 Jap pumpkin
2 handfuls salad leaves
1 kilo of sweet potatoes
3 handfuls rocket leaves
1 lemon
4 cloves garlic

1 piece large pita bread, per person

100 grams tasty cheese
100 grams feta
200 grams parmesan cheese
tzaztiki
100 ml cream
1 packet potato gnocchi (enough to feed four)

Dry Goods
1/2 cup Persian red lentils
1/3 cup pepitas
Falafel mix
Sweet chilli sauce
Red curry paste
800 gram tin crushed tomatoes
400 gram tin red kidney beans
500 grams rigatoni
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

Cupboard Staples
Olive oil
Cumin
Tumeric
Coriander
Honey
Vegetable oil, for frying
Plain rice

Spinach, tomato and potato dhal with honey roasted pumpkin

I love this dhal - it's so satisfying, and warm, with just a hint of heat. The tomatoes give it a lovely fresh flavour, stopping it from becoming too heavy, a common dhal problem. And you really can't go wrong with honey roasted pumpkin.

Spinach, tomato and potato dhal

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, diced
6 salad potatoes, washed well and quartered
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 cup Persian red lentils (I used the Mount Zero brand, which are magnificent, and hold their shape when cooked. If you can't find these, used Puy lentils)
2 1/2 cups water
3 tomatoes, skinned and deseeded, and diced
2 large handfuls spinach leaves, washed well and stems removed

1 - Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large saucepan, and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, or until tender and golden. Add the spices, and cook for a minute more.

2 - Add the potatoes, lentils and water, and bring to the boil. Turn heat down and simmer, covered, for 35 - 40 minutes, or until the potatoes and lentils are just tender, stirring frequently.

3 - Add the tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes more.

4 - Add the spinach, and stir in until wilted. Serve.

Honey roasted pumpkin

500 grams pumpkin, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/3 cup pepitas, toasted
2 tablespoons honey


1 - Preheat the oven to 200 C. Place the pumpkin in a baking dish, and toss with the oil. Roast for 30 - 35 minutes, or until tender and just beginning to caramelise.

2 - Remove from oven and drizzle with the honey. Roast in oven for 5 minutes more.

3 - Place the pumpkin on serving dish, and scatter with pepitas. Serve.

Falafels

I really enjoyed tonight's dinner - it was such a no-brainer to cook, which was a relief to discover, as I'd never attempted falafels before. Having now made them, I have no idea why not - they were as simple as can be, and all the chopping of the wrap filling can be done as the falafels are cooking.

The only thing you should be aware of: make sure your non-stick fry pan truly is non-stick. I have no idea why I've done to one of mine, but it seems to have lost it's magic non-stickability, and there may have been a tantrum or two a few weekends ago when I tried to make fritters and it wouldn't play ball. I imagine having falafels stuck to the pan would have really set me going, so I used my trusty mini-saucepan that has never let me down. It did the trick nicely, too: cooking 6 at a time, and ensuring that I used much less oil.

Falafels with the works!

1 packet falafel mix
vegetable oil, to fry in
2 or 3 tomatoes, sliced
100 grams tasty cheese, grated
2 handfuls salad leaves, washed and dried well
1 piece large pita bread per person
tzaztiki, to serve
sweet chilli sauce, to serve

1 - Mix up the falafels according to the packet instructions.

2 - Fill a pan with a couple of centimetres of oil. Heat well, then fry the falafels, several at a time, for a minute or two on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on absorbant paper towel (or recycle brown paper bags like me!)

3 - Pile the falafel balls onto a platter, and serve with the bread, tomatoes, cheese, salad leaves, tzaztiki and chilli sauce, letting everyone build their own.

Bean and vegetable curry

This is just the thing for those chilly nights - it's hearty and spicy. My favourite combination!

Bean and vegetable curry

500 grams sweet potato, peeled and diced into 2 cm cubes
300 grams pumpkin, peeled, seeded and diced into 2 cm cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 onion, finely diced (save the other half for the gnocchi on Friday)
800 gram tin crushed tomatoes
400 gram tin red kidney beans, rinsed well
plain rice, to serve
tzatziki, to serve

1 - Preheat the oven to 200 C. Place the pumpkin and sweet potato in a baking dish, toss with a smidge of oil, and roast for 20ish minutes, or until tender. Set aside.

2 - Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 5 minutes or so, or until tender and golden. Add the curry paste, and cook for a minute more.

3 - Add the beans and tomatoes, and bring to the boil. Turn heat down and simmer, until the mixture is nice and thick. Add the roasted vegetables, then stir carefully to combine (you don't want to squish the roasted cubes of sweet potato and pumpkin).

4 - Place some rice in a bowl, then top with a good dollop of the curry. Serve with tzatziki, if desired.

Pesto Pasta with Pumpkin and Feta

It took me ages to like pesto - primarily, I suspect, because I'd only tasted commercially prepared ones that were far too oily. I'd have a wee taste, and then screw up my face in disappointment, thinking "What is it with this green goop that makes people swoon in delight? I cannot understand it at all!"

Then a friend put me onto home made rocket pesto, and bang! The illuminations, and major appreciation, began! Most pesto recipes call for a bit more oil, but I like to keep mine lighter, with more of an emphasis on the lemon. However, feel free to muck about with it and make it your own.


Pesto Pasta with Pumpkin and Feta

500 grams rigatoni
1/2 Jap pumpkin, peeled, seeded and diced into two cm cubes
100 grams feta, crumbled
3 handfuls rocket, washed well
1/3 cup pine nuts
100 grams parmesan cheese, grated
juice of one large lemon (or two small ones - the more juice the better, I think)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
50 ml olive oil (use the best one you can get)


1 - Preheat the oven to 200 C. Place the pumpkin in a baking tray, tossed with a smidge of olive oil, and roast for 20ish minutes, or until tender. Set aside

2 - Cook the rigatoni as per the packet instructions, until al dente. Keeping warm, set aside.

3 - In a food processor, place the rocket, pine nuts and parmesan. Whizz for a minute, or until combined. With the motor running, add the lemon juice and olive oil.

4 - Combine the pesto with the pumpkin, feta and pasta in a large pan, and then serve immediately.

Gnocchi with sweet potato puree

This is really, really, really comforting comfort food. I've never had any luck making gnocchi from scratch - instead of being light and fluffy clouds, mine always turn out to be dumpy balls of chockiness. So, if you don't have the magic touch, I whole heartedly recommend buying some pre-prepared, like moi. Life's too short to spend copious amounts of time on something that is just as good, if not better, from the supermarket!

Gnocchi with sweet potato puree

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
100 ml cream
100 grams parmesan cheese, grated
1 packet potato gnocchi (enough to serve 4 people)
freshly ground black pepper

1 - Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 5 minutes or so, or until golden and tender. Add the garlic, and cook for a minute more.

2 - Add the sweet potato and the stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender.

3 - Puree the sweet potato mixtue until smooth (if you want you can stop here, and just have sweet potato soup for dinner!), then put back on a medium low heat, adding the cream and half the parmesan. Stir until combined, adding freshly ground pepper to taste.

4 - Meanwhile, fill a large pan with water and bring to the boil. Cook for gnocchi for 2 - 3 minutes - they'll be done when they all float to the top and merrily bob away. Drain, then add the gnocchi to the puree. Mix well, then serve, with extra parmesan for anybody who wants it.