This dip is very simple. I first made it on one of those lazy days--I was tired from work and really couldn't be bothered mucking about with straining and whisking yoghurt or grinding spices. I had an avocado. I had fresh chilli and garlic. Tabasco, too. What else did I need?
I used this as a dip for raw carrot and cucumber. You could use it for chips or about anything. Could even throw it into tacos or burritos or any of those tortilla-wrapped delights.
Ingredients:
1 large, ripe avocado
2+ fresh chillies (to taste)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
a splash of Tabasco
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
Cut the avocado in half. Peel the skin off and remove the stone. Tear the flesh into chunks and drop it into the bowl of a food processor, along with the garlic and two chillies. Blitz until smooth. Season with freshly ground black pepper, sea salt and Tabasco. Blitz. Add more chillies if desired.
Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts
Monday, February 2, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Beer damper rolls
In years gone by, people in Australia's bush would make a simple bread from flour and water. That's how we made it in scouts, anyway. That's how we were told it was made. Most recipes you see online, though, use milk in place of water. I'm not sure which is authentic as, really, I use neither milk nor water and, as a general rule, I care more for flavour than authenticity.
When I made these rolls, it was to use them as burger buns. If you want to make a large loaf or dinner rolls or anything in between, you could easily do so by portioning the dough differently. You might have to adjust the cooking time too.
Ingredients:
500 g self-raising flour, sifted
350 mL beer
50 g salt-reduced butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1/2 tsp white sugar
a pinch of fine sea salt
a splash of milk
Pre-heat oven to 190*C.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter cubes, too. Rub them into the flour as if you're making pastry or scones. Once the butter and flour are well combined, add the beer. Mix with your hands. Form the dough into a ball. If it's sticky, add a bit more flour.
Split the dough into four evenly sized pieces. Roll them into balls. Place the balls as far apart as possible on a lightly greased oven tray. Brush balls with a little milk. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
When I made these rolls, it was to use them as burger buns. If you want to make a large loaf or dinner rolls or anything in between, you could easily do so by portioning the dough differently. You might have to adjust the cooking time too.
Ingredients:
500 g self-raising flour, sifted
350 mL beer
50 g salt-reduced butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1/2 tsp white sugar
a pinch of fine sea salt
a splash of milk
Pre-heat oven to 190*C.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter cubes, too. Rub them into the flour as if you're making pastry or scones. Once the butter and flour are well combined, add the beer. Mix with your hands. Form the dough into a ball. If it's sticky, add a bit more flour.
Split the dough into four evenly sized pieces. Roll them into balls. Place the balls as far apart as possible on a lightly greased oven tray. Brush balls with a little milk. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
White bread
I've always meant to get around to making my own bread. And today, today of all days, when it's thirtysomething degrees outside--Celsius, for my American readers--I finally had a crack at it. This recipe produces one round loaf. There's nothing stopping you from splitting the dough into small rolls or a rectangular loaf. Too, there's nothing stopping you from modifying it considerably. Feel like adding nutmeg or cinnamon? Fresh herbs? A topping of grated cheese, diced bacon (pre-cooked, of course) and sun-dried tomatoes? A Spanish-style dusting of paprika? Olives? Go right ahead. This bread is lovely made as detailed below, but it'd be far more exciting if you experimented with it.
Ingredients:
550 g strong plain flour
30 mL olive oil, plus extra to grease
1 tbs white sugar
3 tsp dry active yeast (about one and a third sachets)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
sesame seeds or poppy seeds
Combine the yeast and sugar with 350 mL warm water in a large bowl. Be 'warm' I mean somewhere between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius. While yeast will die if you put it in hot water, there's no need to treat bread-making like a science experiment. Close enough will do.
When the yeast water is foamy--about ten minutes--add in two cups of flour, the olive oil and the sea salt. Set to work on the mix with an electric mixer fitted with dough hooks. Of course, you could just as easily do this by hand or in a food processor with the mixing blade. Gradually add the rest of the flour, keeping the mixer on the lowest or second lowest setting if you want to avoid getting flour all down your front. You want a ball that comes away from the side of the bowl and holds together nicely.
Take the dough ball out of the bowl and work it around in your hands for ten minutes. This part of bread-making is excellent for stress relief. Stretch it, squash it, roll it. I prefer to knead dough in my hands--it makes for less mess and seems to produce the same results as needing it on a board. Once the dough is smooth and has an elastic texture, transfer it to a clean bowl that has been lightly greased with olive oil. Turn the dough ball over so it is completely covered in the finest film of olive oil. Place a damp but clean tea towel over the bowl. Keep the bowl somewhere warm for two hours so the bowl can rise. Next to a window would be good. If it's cold, you could always turn on the heat lamp in the bathroom and close the door.
After two hours, transfer the dough ball to a lightly greased circular roasting pan. My pan was about 18 cm across. Ensure that the dough is of uniform thickness and then let the dough sit for another half hour or so in a warm place without a tea towel. The surface will dry out slightly. Pre-heat the oven to 200*C. Brush the surface of the dough with warm water--use only a little, please--and then give a generous sprinkling of either poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The surface of the bread should be golden and should make a satisfying hollow sound when you rap on it with your knuckles. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool. Don't keep it in the hot oven pan. Serve however you please while still warm. Retain any leftovers for bread crumbs, which can be frozen until required.
Ingredients:
550 g strong plain flour
30 mL olive oil, plus extra to grease
1 tbs white sugar
3 tsp dry active yeast (about one and a third sachets)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
sesame seeds or poppy seeds
Combine the yeast and sugar with 350 mL warm water in a large bowl. Be 'warm' I mean somewhere between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius. While yeast will die if you put it in hot water, there's no need to treat bread-making like a science experiment. Close enough will do.
When the yeast water is foamy--about ten minutes--add in two cups of flour, the olive oil and the sea salt. Set to work on the mix with an electric mixer fitted with dough hooks. Of course, you could just as easily do this by hand or in a food processor with the mixing blade. Gradually add the rest of the flour, keeping the mixer on the lowest or second lowest setting if you want to avoid getting flour all down your front. You want a ball that comes away from the side of the bowl and holds together nicely.
Take the dough ball out of the bowl and work it around in your hands for ten minutes. This part of bread-making is excellent for stress relief. Stretch it, squash it, roll it. I prefer to knead dough in my hands--it makes for less mess and seems to produce the same results as needing it on a board. Once the dough is smooth and has an elastic texture, transfer it to a clean bowl that has been lightly greased with olive oil. Turn the dough ball over so it is completely covered in the finest film of olive oil. Place a damp but clean tea towel over the bowl. Keep the bowl somewhere warm for two hours so the bowl can rise. Next to a window would be good. If it's cold, you could always turn on the heat lamp in the bathroom and close the door.
After two hours, transfer the dough ball to a lightly greased circular roasting pan. My pan was about 18 cm across. Ensure that the dough is of uniform thickness and then let the dough sit for another half hour or so in a warm place without a tea towel. The surface will dry out slightly. Pre-heat the oven to 200*C. Brush the surface of the dough with warm water--use only a little, please--and then give a generous sprinkling of either poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The surface of the bread should be golden and should make a satisfying hollow sound when you rap on it with your knuckles. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool. Don't keep it in the hot oven pan. Serve however you please while still warm. Retain any leftovers for bread crumbs, which can be frozen until required.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Vegetarian couscous
Believe it or not, but I do eat vegetarian meals on occasion. I really enjoy vegetables that rarely grace the tables of my fellow Aussie. These vegetables are so flavoursome. This dish can, of course, be made with about any vegetable you care to throw in it. Some cherry tomatoes would be nice. Particularly if you roasted them beforehand, I reckon. Mushrooms would be lovely. Parsley. Spinach. Corn. Chilli. Zucchini. Broccoli. Note that with some vegetables, it'd be a good idea to cook them at least partially beforehand. Too, this recipe makes a large quantity. If you have a small wok, you may need to cook it in two batches. Luckily, the final stage, which sees the couscous and fennel, both of which have been cooked already, come together with everything else is very short.
Ingredients:
2 cups couscous (about 400 grams)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 handfuls of endive leaves, chopped
2 dried chillies
1 capsicum (bell pepper), diced
1 carrot, diced
1 fennel bulb, sliced
1 tbs whole cumin seeds
1 tbs whole fennel seeds
1 tbs sumac powder
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil
olive oil
Prepare the fennel. Heat some olive oil in a saucepan and fry the dried chillies and garlic. When garlic is soft--about 5 minutes--add the sliced fennel, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and sumac powder. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook over a medium-low flame for 20 minutes. Lift the lid every so often to give everything a good stir.
Prepare the couscous. Pour couscous into a small saucepan adding 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over a medium flame and then reduce the heat. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is soft. This should take about 6-8 minutes. Make sure you stir the couscous every so often to prevent sticking. When the couscous is done, drizzle a little olive oil over it and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Now, heat a wok over a large flame. You can use a large fry pan if you don't have a wok. Add some olive oil. When hot, add the carrot and capsicum. Stir and fry for a couple of minutes, then add the couscous. Stir and stir and stir. Cook for two more minutes, then add the spiced fennel and garlic--leaving out the dried chillies--and endive leaves. At this point, you'll probably find that a large pair of tongs is handy for tossing everything together. It'll only take 2-3 minutes for the endive leaves to shrivel up, at which point you can spoon this stuff onto four plates, season it with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and dress it with a little extra virgin olive oil. I used white truffle-infused extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients:
2 cups couscous (about 400 grams)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 handfuls of endive leaves, chopped
2 dried chillies
1 capsicum (bell pepper), diced
1 carrot, diced
1 fennel bulb, sliced
1 tbs whole cumin seeds
1 tbs whole fennel seeds
1 tbs sumac powder
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil
olive oil
Prepare the fennel. Heat some olive oil in a saucepan and fry the dried chillies and garlic. When garlic is soft--about 5 minutes--add the sliced fennel, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and sumac powder. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook over a medium-low flame for 20 minutes. Lift the lid every so often to give everything a good stir.
Prepare the couscous. Pour couscous into a small saucepan adding 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over a medium flame and then reduce the heat. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is soft. This should take about 6-8 minutes. Make sure you stir the couscous every so often to prevent sticking. When the couscous is done, drizzle a little olive oil over it and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Now, heat a wok over a large flame. You can use a large fry pan if you don't have a wok. Add some olive oil. When hot, add the carrot and capsicum. Stir and fry for a couple of minutes, then add the couscous. Stir and stir and stir. Cook for two more minutes, then add the spiced fennel and garlic--leaving out the dried chillies--and endive leaves. At this point, you'll probably find that a large pair of tongs is handy for tossing everything together. It'll only take 2-3 minutes for the endive leaves to shrivel up, at which point you can spoon this stuff onto four plates, season it with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and dress it with a little extra virgin olive oil. I used white truffle-infused extra virgin olive oil.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Potato wedges, Indian style
This twist on potato wedges isn't as loopy an idea as you may initially think. It was inspired by a recipe in one of my favourite cooking books, Camellia Panjabi's 50 Great Curries of India. This little book has done more than any other to increase my understanding of Indian cuisine and curries.
Anyway, enough praise for Ms. Panjabi's writings. She has a recipe for potatoes that are briefly boiled in turmeric-infused water and then fried in chilli- and coriander-infused oil. While her method of cooking is the undeniably more authentic way of preparing Indian 'potato wedges', I prefer to roast my potato wedges.
Ingredients:
500 g small potatoes, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp amchoor (mango powder)
1/2 tsp coriander, freshly ground
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp hot curry powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
sea salt
oil
Pre-heat oven to 220*C.
Place the potatoes, tumeric and a pinch of sea salt in a saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to boil. Simmer for 7-8 minutes or until potatoes can be easily speared with a skewer.
Meanwhile, prepare the seasoning. Combine all of the spices, plus a little sea salt, in a cup or other small vessel. Lightly oil an oven tray and scatter the crushed garlic cloves over it. When the potatoes are able to be speared with a skewer, take them off the heat and drain. Add the potatoes to the tray. Toss in the oil and spice mix. Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning every so often.
Anyway, enough praise for Ms. Panjabi's writings. She has a recipe for potatoes that are briefly boiled in turmeric-infused water and then fried in chilli- and coriander-infused oil. While her method of cooking is the undeniably more authentic way of preparing Indian 'potato wedges', I prefer to roast my potato wedges.
Ingredients:
500 g small potatoes, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp amchoor (mango powder)
1/2 tsp coriander, freshly ground
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp hot curry powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
sea salt
oil
Pre-heat oven to 220*C.
Place the potatoes, tumeric and a pinch of sea salt in a saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to boil. Simmer for 7-8 minutes or until potatoes can be easily speared with a skewer.
Meanwhile, prepare the seasoning. Combine all of the spices, plus a little sea salt, in a cup or other small vessel. Lightly oil an oven tray and scatter the crushed garlic cloves over it. When the potatoes are able to be speared with a skewer, take them off the heat and drain. Add the potatoes to the tray. Toss in the oil and spice mix. Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning every so often.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Carrot, celery and leek pilaf
Pilaf is a kind of rice dish that can have, depending on the variation, vegetables, fruit (such as raisins and dates), nuts (pine nuts in particular), seafood, meat or any combination of the above mixed through it. I guess you could brand it a Middle Eastern take on risotto. The two main differences, to my mind, are as follows: firstly, pilaf has a shorter cooking time and secondly, pilaf is cooked with the lid on. This is a recipe for a very basic pilaf that could and should be expanded upon. The possibilities for variation are endless. Grilled eggplant? That'd work. Tomato? That'd be lovely, I reckon. Bacon? Fennel? Capsicum? Asparagus? Prawns? Yabbies? They'd all be good. Possibly not together, although pilafs that combine meat and seafood aren't unusual. The recipe below makes enough for two people.
Note that the truffle oil is absolutely optional. I happen to have a bottle of the stuff kicking around my cupboard. Rather than saving it for the most expensive meals, I'll often bring it out with cooking pasta and rice dishes or even pizzas (see this) as, really, if you have it, you may as well use it? After all, it's not like it has an unlimited shelf life.
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup vegetable stock (ideally home made, but quality store-bought stuff will suffice)
2/3 cup long-grain rice, washed and drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves, torn into pieces
1 carrot, cubed
1 stick of celery, cubed
1 leek, sliced
1 tbs butter, salt reduced
1 tbs olive oil
a splash of dry white wine or vermouth
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste
a drizzle of truffle oil (optional)
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low flame. When butter has completely melted, add celery, garlic and leek and fry until soft, stirring occasionally. Add rice, carrot and bay leaf. Stir, then add a generous splash of white wine. Stir the contents of the saucepan as the white wine evaporates. When wine has mostly gone, stir in the vegetable stock and a pinch of salt. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Place lid on the pan, reduce heat to low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove lid and give everything a good stir, then spoon into bowls. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with truffle oil, if using.
Note that the truffle oil is absolutely optional. I happen to have a bottle of the stuff kicking around my cupboard. Rather than saving it for the most expensive meals, I'll often bring it out with cooking pasta and rice dishes or even pizzas (see this) as, really, if you have it, you may as well use it? After all, it's not like it has an unlimited shelf life.
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup vegetable stock (ideally home made, but quality store-bought stuff will suffice)
2/3 cup long-grain rice, washed and drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves, torn into pieces
1 carrot, cubed
1 stick of celery, cubed
1 leek, sliced
1 tbs butter, salt reduced
1 tbs olive oil
a splash of dry white wine or vermouth
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste
a drizzle of truffle oil (optional)
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low flame. When butter has completely melted, add celery, garlic and leek and fry until soft, stirring occasionally. Add rice, carrot and bay leaf. Stir, then add a generous splash of white wine. Stir the contents of the saucepan as the white wine evaporates. When wine has mostly gone, stir in the vegetable stock and a pinch of salt. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Place lid on the pan, reduce heat to low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove lid and give everything a good stir, then spoon into bowls. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with truffle oil, if using.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Potato wedges
Yeah. Potato wedges. I make my own. Those frozen ones you buy, they're just crap, really. My potato wedges go well as a side for steak, but you could also serve them at a party as finger food.
First up, you need to buy the right kind of potato. Use Sebago potatoes. For the Australians reading this, the 'brushed potatoes' available at many supermarkets and green grocers are Sebago potatoes. Now, if you're serving these as a side, about one decent-sized potato per person is the way to go
Pre-heat the oven to 220*C.
Give the potatoes a good rinse and then slice them into wedges. Drop the wedges into a saucepan. Fill saucepan with enough water to cover the potatoes, add a pinch of sea salt and then bring to the boil over a medium-high flame. Reduce the temperature. Cook for maybe seven further minutes or until you can easily drive a skewer through the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and pour them into a roasting pan. Take care to pick a pan of the right size. The wedges shouldn't be piled on top of each other, yet at the same time there shouldn't be massive gaps between them. Toss the potato wedges in sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Be generous. Throw three or four crushed garlic cloves into the pan, before tossing everything in a little olive oil. You could, if wanted to experiment, use a little duck fat instead. Certainly it's not worth buying some specially for potato wedges, of all things, but if you have some on hand you may as well give it a go.
Place the potato wedges in the oven for 25 minutes, removing regularly to turn and toss. Just before serving, give a final sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper.
First up, you need to buy the right kind of potato. Use Sebago potatoes. For the Australians reading this, the 'brushed potatoes' available at many supermarkets and green grocers are Sebago potatoes. Now, if you're serving these as a side, about one decent-sized potato per person is the way to go
Pre-heat the oven to 220*C.
Give the potatoes a good rinse and then slice them into wedges. Drop the wedges into a saucepan. Fill saucepan with enough water to cover the potatoes, add a pinch of sea salt and then bring to the boil over a medium-high flame. Reduce the temperature. Cook for maybe seven further minutes or until you can easily drive a skewer through the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and pour them into a roasting pan. Take care to pick a pan of the right size. The wedges shouldn't be piled on top of each other, yet at the same time there shouldn't be massive gaps between them. Toss the potato wedges in sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Be generous. Throw three or four crushed garlic cloves into the pan, before tossing everything in a little olive oil. You could, if wanted to experiment, use a little duck fat instead. Certainly it's not worth buying some specially for potato wedges, of all things, but if you have some on hand you may as well give it a go.
Place the potato wedges in the oven for 25 minutes, removing regularly to turn and toss. Just before serving, give a final sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper.
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