Thursday 27 November 2014

Goat And Beetroot Cannelloni

I love to play around with different flavours and combinations of foods, depending on what is in the fridge or cupboard and what looks good at the shops.

Sometimes these combinations work out really well, other times not so good. Obviously those that don't work out, you never get to read about!

This week, I had some fresh lasagne sheets in the fridge and a beetroot that was looking sad and sorry for it's self, that I'd forgotten about in the bottom of the basket. Throw in a giant bag of yellow and orange capsicums in the clearance section of the fruit shop and some herbs from the garden and I was set on making some cannelloni.



I don't actually make cannelloni very often, but when I do, it tends to be ricotta and spinach or some other vegetarian version. This time I thought I'd make a meaty version that would match nicely with the beetroot. Initially I was going to make chicken ones, but our local Middle Eastern butcher has wonderful goat mince, so I decided that was the way to go. Sweet, lean goat and sweet, earthy beetroot are a fantastic combination!

Instead of a tomato based sauce, I decided to make a sweet roasted capsicum one with dill and garlic. Roasting the capsicums brings out a lovely sweetness in them, and the yellow and orange ones I picked up tend to be on the sweeter side anyway.

To make sure there was enough liquid to cook the pasta, I added a bit of water to the baking tray with the cannelloni before it went into the oven. This didn't dilute the sauce at all, but helped to make sure the pasta was al dente once the top was a beautiful golden colour.

Since the cannelloni already had quite a lot of different flavours going on, I served it with a simple lettuce, tomato and avocado salad. You could get more creative if you like, but I think keeping it simple is better than being too overwhelmed.


Goat And Beetroot Cannelloni






500g goat mince
1 medium beetroot, peeled and grated
1 red onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
A drizzle of olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped dill
Salt and pepper to taste

6 mixed yellow and orange capsicums
1/4 cup finely chopped dill
1 clove of garlic, coarsely chopped
1 ripe tomato, quartered
1/2 cup water

1 packet of fresh lasagne sheets

To make the filling, heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the mince beetroot, onion and garlic.




Fry until the meat is just cooked, breaking up clumps as you go. The meat will continue to cook in the oven, so it doesn't matter if it's not cooked all the way through.
Stir through the dill and season to taste.
Set aside to cool.

To make the sauce, cut capsicums in half and remove the seeds and membranes.
Place them skin side up on a large baking tray on a piece of foil. This means less cleaning up afterwards!
Grill under hight heat until the skin is blistered and blackened. The blacker the better.
Remove from the grill, wrap all the capsicums into a parcel with the foil and set aside for 10 minutes to cool and loosen the skins.
Carefully unwrap the parcel, keeping all the lovely juices inside.
Peel the skins off the capsicum and put the flesh and juices in a food processor.
Add the garlic, dill, tomato and water and process to a smooth sauce.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.




To assemble, cut the pasta sheets in half so that you have 2 squares from each piece.
Lay all the pieces out on a bench and divide the filling up between them. You want enough filling so that you can still roll and enclose the cannelloni.
Roll them all up with the seam side down.




Spread a good spoonful of the sauce on the base of a large baking dish and add 1/4 cup of water. This helps to cook the pasta.




Lay the cannelloni over the sauce in a single layer. I could fit 14 rolls into my dish.
Sprinkle an extra 1/4 cup water over the top and then spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the pasta.



Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Bake cannelloni for about 30 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and the sauce has turned to a nice crust on the top.
Rest for 5 minutes in the tray before serving with a light salad.

Enjoy!


And To Drink....


There's no photo of tonight's wine because it was a cleanskin Pinot Noir with no label.  I picked it up from Hanging Rock Winery a few years ago when we went for a drive to the Macedon Ranges in Victoria. We bought a dozen of the wines in a special deal and have been enjoying them ever since. Being a cool climate Pinot Noir, there is lots of beautiful plum and red berry fruit flavours. There was no funkiness to this wine and it had nice clean and simple flavours.

The ripe red fruits matched perfectly with the sweetness in the goat and beetroot filling and the roasted capsicum sauce. 

This was certainly a cheaper quaffer, but was a great wine to have with a nice hearty meal on a cool Spring night. It certainly went down very easily!

Hanging Rock Winery make some fantastic wines, particularly their premium Sparkling, Shiraz and Pinot Noir.  If you happen to be in the Macedon Ranges, make sure you drop in. It's only an hour drive from Melbourne, so is perfect for a day trip or when you just want to get out of the city for a weekend.

Monday 24 November 2014

Homemade Bacon And The Piper Street Food Co

Last Saturday I was lucky enough to attend a full day charcuterie course at the Piper Street Food Co in Kyneton, Victoria. Thanks so much to my family for the early Christmas present!




This was a jam-packed day of education, demonstration and hands-on skills celebrating all things piggy.

Damian, out instructor and also owner of the Piper Street Food Co, was a wealth of knowledge and a great storyteller. His background as a chef in Australia and around the world gave him great knowledge and experience in general cooking and his passion, Charcuterie.

Damian our enthusiastic instructor with a lovely pork shoulder

Charcuterie was originally created as a way to preserve meat without refrigeration so it could be enjoyed all year round. These days, it's more about tasting fantastic and using all parts of the animal, rather than keeping for the winter. Certainly the products that I made wouldn't last that long!


Mincing pork for the terrine

Over the course of the day, we made pork sausages, a green salt for confit duck, duck rillettes, a cure for our own bacon, quail galantine, Terrine de Campagne and a farm house pate. We were lucky enough to enjoy the quail galantine and terrine with some beautiful salad, fresh bread and wine for lunch.


The gorgeous Terrine de Campagne, served at lunch

The quail galantines, poached, then oven baked. Absolutely delicious!

The sausages we had to stuff and link ourselves and were then able to have them packed up to bring home. Likewise the bacon had to cure for a week before it could be cooked and eaten. Our warm duck rillettes were packed into bags and we were given our own green salt to use at our whim at home. With goody bags bursting at the seams, we really did get to take home a lot of amazing treats.


My sausages

Cooking the sausages on the BBQ

The day was tiring, but a lot of fun and I learnt so much. I have made pate and terrine before, but the recipes we used at Piper Street Food Co were quite different and a bit more rustic. Sometimes it's nice to have more simple processes without compromising the flavour. Every thing we made was absolutely delicious!

The homemade bacon was particularly special. I've wanted to make bacon before, but just haven't had the patience to make it one day, but then not be able to eat it for another week. I'm sharing the recipe with you, but credit obviously has to go to Piper Street Food Co. They have put a lot of work into perfecting the ratios of meat to salt and other flavours. The recipe makes a nice sized piece of bacon, but you could easily do the maths to alter the quantities depending on the size of your piece of meat. The small amount of sodium nitrate used acts as a preservative. You can find this in cooking supplies stores, like the Essential Ingredient in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

I urge you to give making your own bacon a go. It really is easy, you just have to be patient. If this post inspires you and you live in Melbourne, I'd definitely recommend the drive to Kyneton to complete the Charcuterie course. They also have other foodie related short courses, so check out their website www.piperstfoodco.com to see what else they have coming up.

I definitely think I'll be heading back again one day. Not only is there the lure of the cooking school, but they have a gorgeous bakery and cafe with a delicious array of homemade goods. What could be better than a drive to the country for some feasting?

Bacon Salt


500g boned pork belly


The pork belly to be made into bacon
70g salt
12g sodium nitrate
40g brown sugar
50g black pepper
4 cloves of garlic
4 sprigs of thyme

Place all the salt ingredients in a food processor or mortar and pestle and pulse until combined but not too wet.
Rub the salt into the meat and place in a bag or sealed container in the fridge for 7-10 days.
Every day, turn the meat and rub the salt mixture into it.


Pork belly with the curing salt


On the final day, rinse the salt off and pat dry.
Bake in a cool oven at 90 degrees for 45 minutes.
Set aside to cool, then slice and use as you wish.



MMM......bacon!

Thickly sliced and ready to go

The most amazing bacon I've ever tried. Full marks to me!

Thursday 20 November 2014

Roasted Sweet Potato And Cashew Pesto

I've had so much fun over the past few weeks experimenting with the fantastic MOO Dahi Indian style yoghurt.

This is my last recipe for the moment, but I can see that I'll be buying more of the Dahi in the future. It really is such a versatile yoghurt that you can use in sweet and savoury recipes, cooked and raw foods. Being low in sugar and quite mild in flavour, the Dahi is not too overpowering. Perfect when you want other flavours to dominate.

I'm calling this recipe a pesto, but it really is a chunky dip. With the lovely flavours of roasted sweet potato and garlic, nutty cashews and some tartness from the lemon and yoghurt, it is a great combination of flavours. If you find the pesto too thick for your liking, add a little more MOO Dahi and another drizzle of lemon juice. Nice and thick, this pesto would be perfect served with crackers and vegie sticks for an easy starter or nibble at a BBQ.

I served my pesto with golden pan-fried haloumi and a light salad of cherry tomato, avocado and baby spinach. You could even spoon it over pan-fried chicken fillets or fleshy white fish and then pop it into the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.

Use your imagination and see what wonderful ideas you can come up with!






Roasted Sweet Potato And Cashew Pesto


1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cloves of garlic, skins on
1/2 cup cashews
1 1/2 cups MOO Dahi yoghurt
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Place sweet potato and whole garlic cloves on a baking tray and spray with oil spray.
Roast for approx 30 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft and the garlic is golden and bursting out of the skins.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.



While the sweet potato is roasting, place cashews on a small tray and roast for 5 minutes, or until golden. Keep an eye on them as they can burn easily.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

In a small food processor, combine sweet potato, cashews, MOO Dahi and lemon juice.
Whiz until just combined. Season to taste.









To serve, place in a bowl with crackers and vegie sticks and use as a dip.





If you're feeling more creative, like I was, serve golden fried haloumi slices on the pesto with a light salad over the top. Perfect on a warm night when a lighter meal is in order.





Monday 17 November 2014

Roasted Beetroot And Couscous Salad

This week, in typical Melbourne fashion, we've gone from 34 degrees to 20 degrees in the space of a couple of days. Last week I wanted light and fresh meals with minimal cooking and minimal fuss. Frankly, who can be bothered cooking when it's hot?

The last two days, as the weather has cooled down, I've been craving heavier meals. For Meat free Monday, I couldn't go past making a hearty salad with a few of my favourite things. Beautiful fresh asparagus was a given and roasted beetroot is always a favourite. Combined with some corn couscous and a spiced yoghurt dressing, using the lovely MOO Dahi, it was certainly a winner.
























I've never used corn couscous before, but picked up a packet from the local shops because they didn't have any of the regular sort available. It was a little heavier than couscous made from semolina, but had a lovely corny smell and taste. I'll certainly be using it again. You can just use regular couscous, or even the larger Israeli couscous balls. Either would still be delicious.

Roasted Beetroot And Couscous Salad





1 large beetroot
A drizzle of olive oil
1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends snapped off
1/2 cup MOO Dahi yoghurt
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups couscous
A few handfuls of parsley and mint, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Trim the beetroot and peel using a vegetable peeler. Cut into large chunks.
Toss with a drizzle of olive oil on a baking tray and roast for about 30 minutes or until tender when pierced with a skewer.
Remove from the oven and set aside.



Place asparagus spears in a heatproof container and pour over boiling water. 
Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the MOO Dahi yoghurt, lemon juice, cumin and coriander. Season to taste

Prepare the couscous according to packet instructions. 

In a large bowl, combine coucous, beetroot, asparagus and chopped herbs. Season to taste.
Tip onto a platter or serving bowl and drizzle with the yoghurt dressing.

Enjoy!



Saturday 15 November 2014

Cinnamon Apple Yoghurt Cake

I don't tend to do a lot of cake baking because no one else in the house really has a sweet tooth, but a trip to the inlaws this morning gave me an excuse to try something different.

Yoghurt goes so well in cakes, because it makes them beautifully moist, so I couldn't wait to come up with a recipe using the lovely MOO Dahi Indian Style Yoghurt.

Sweet cinnamon poached apples and yoghurt are a great combination, so why not make them into a cake?




This cake was lovely and moist and had a beautiful sweetness from the poached apples. A nice surprise to have inside the cake. You could either serve it as is, or warm it up with a dollop of Dahi or even ice cream to turn it into a simple dessert.

If I was you, I'd make up a double batch of the apples so that you have extra to enjoy warmed up with a dollop of Dahi and a sprinkling of nuts or muesli for breakfast!



Cinnamon Apple Yoghurt Cake


4 Granny Smith apples (about 500g)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
125g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar + 1tsp
2 eggs
1 cup SR flour
1/2 cup plain flour
Up to 1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup MOO Dahi yoghurt + extra to serve
1 tsp icing sugar to dust

Peel, core and coarsely chop apples.
Place in a saucepan with 1/2 cup water, cinnamon and 1 tsp caster sugar.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat and gently poach until the apples are soft, but not falling apart.




Set aside to cool and then drain over a fine sieve.
Reserve the apples and juice for later.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees.
Grease a 20cm round cake tin and dust with flour.
In a mixer, beat butter and sugar until soft and creamy.
Add eggs one at a time and beat well between additions.




Measure out the reserved apple poaching liquid and make up to 1/4 cup with the milk. Combine this with the MOO Dahi yoghurt in a small bowl.
Fold sifted flours and milk/yoghurt mixture into the butter mixture until combined.




Spread half the mixture into prepared cake tin, top with apples and then spread remaining cake mixture over the top.




Bake in oven for 1 hour or until brown on top and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool in tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.

Serve lightly dusted with icing sugar with an extra dollop of MOO Dahi.

Enjoy!

Wednesday 12 November 2014

MOO Dahi Indian Style Yoghurt

I was lucky enough to be chosen to be a #mooreviewer for the MOO Premium Foods Dahi yoghurt. This yoghurt is made in the Indian style, so it is lovely and creamy, without added sugar. It's perfect to eat on it's own, spooned over fruit and granola, used in baking or in cooking.

MOO Premium Foods is a South Australian company that was started in 2005 to make premium yoghurts in the French style, that the owners discovered on a trip overseas. They now produce 8 flavoured yoghurts, Dahi and a rice pudding, which those from Adelaide will know and love!

My first recipe using the Dahi was in this roasted broccoli side dish.




I can't wait to get experimenting and use the Dahi in other meals. Over the next few weeks, you'll see a few more recipes using this delicious yoghurt.


Roasted Broccoli With Chilli Dahi


1 head of broccoli
Rind of 1/2 a lemon, zested into strips
1/2 a cup MOO Dahi yoghurt
1/2 a long red chilli, seeds and membranes removed, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
A drizzle of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 180 dgrees.
Cut the broccoli into florets and place on a baking tray with lemon zest. 
Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat well in the oil.
Roast for 20 minutes, or until the broccoli starts to soften and turns brown at the edges.




Meanwhile, combine Dahi yoghurt and chilli in a bowl. Season to taste with salt.




Dollop the yoghurt over the roasted broccoli and return to the oven for another 5 minutes or until the broccoli is cooked through and the yoghurt has lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and serve.

Enjoy!




Tuesday 11 November 2014

Asparagus, Broad Bean and Feta Tart

I love buying and cooking with what's in season. Fruit and vegetables that are at their peak locally are not just cheaper, but they are also so much more flavoursome than when they are grown in a greenhouse somewhere or imported from overseas. It's also nice to know that I'm supporting the local farmers and greengrocers.

Asparagus is just lovely at the moment and whenever I see it at the greengrocer, I can't help but buy a bunch or two. It's so versatile and I could really eat it every day. Simply blanched and drizzled with oil, smothered in Hollandaise, dipped into runny boiled eggs or baked into tarts and quiches. Delicious!

For this weeks vegetarian dinner, I decided to make a tart. I had some broad beans in the freezer and a piece of feta in the fridge that needed using up. I used frozen pastry, because I'm lazy, but freshly made shortcrust would be so much nicer. If only I had more time in my day to make pastry from scratch!

This tart was really easy to put together and I served it with a light, roasted cherry tomato, baby spinach and rocket salad. On a sunny evening, it was a lovely light dinner. It would also be beautiful for a relaxed weekend lunch or picnic, sitting outside in the sun with a glass of wine and good friends.


Asparagus And Broad Bean Tart


1 sheet of frozen shortcrust pastry
A bunch of asparagus, woody ends snapped off
100g frozen broad beans
1 egg
50g Danish or creamy feta, chopped
A handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
6 Cherry tomatoes, halved
A couple of handfuls of baby spinach and rocket
A drizzle of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp toasted sunflower seeds or pinenuts
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Take pastry out of the freezer and allow it to defrost.
Place on a lightly greased oven tray, score a line 1cm from the edge all around the outside.
Par bake for 5 minutes or until the pastry very lightly browns and puffs. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Place asparagus spears and broad beans in a heatproof container and pour over boiling water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then drain.
Remove skins from broad beans and set aside with asparagus spears.




In a bowl, combine egg, feta, mint and pepper to taste. Mix well to make it into a creamy paste with a few lumpy pieces of feta.
Spread this mixture onto the pastry sheet, keeping it within the border.
Arrange the asparagus and broad beans over the filling.
Return to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the pasty is golden and the egg and feta mixture is set.




While the tart is cooking, place cherry tomato halves and a good drizzle of balsamic vinegar in a tray and roast for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Combine the rocket and baby spinach with the tomatoes. Sprinkle with seeds and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic to create a dressing. The tomatoes will break down to create a dressing of sorts too, so don't add too much. Season to taste.




Serve the tart in large pieces with the salad on the side.

Enjoy!



And To Drink....


I have written about the 2007 Nepenthe Ithaca Chardonnay quite a few times before. When we bought it, we got a dozen, so there have been plenty of bottles to enjoy!

This is a gorgeous cool climate Chardonnay with lovely citrus and stone fruit flavours. There is a nice nuttiness from the oak, but it isn't overpowering.




With a light vegetarian dish, you don't want a wine that overpowers the subtle flavours of the food. This Adelaide Hills Chardonnay was perfect. It wasn't too heavy and the sweetness of the broad beans and asparagus matched beautifully with the fruit flavours in the wine. The saltiness of the feta wasn't too strong, so it still complemented the wine well.

As a wine to match with this weeks Meat-free Monday, the Nepenthe Chardonnay was wonderful!


Friday 7 November 2014

Salmon And Salad Wraps

As the weather warms up it's nice to have easy dinners that really don't take any effort to make up, but which taste delicious.

Especially on days when I work, this is high on the list of priorities. Even better when I just put all the components on the table and everyone helps themselves!




Salmon is my favourite fish and it matches so well with avocado and asparagus. You could use any fish that you prefer, or even prawns, but you want something that is quite firm fleshed so it doesn't completely fall apart and turn mushy. It's nice to have big chunks of fish to bite into.

I dressed my asparagus with a blood orange infused olive oil that we picked up in the Yarra Valley, which was just beautiful. You could use any flavoured oil that you have or just plain extra virgin olive oil.

I didn't make any other sauce or dressing for the salad as I felt the lemon juice, oil and juices from the  salmon were enough. Too much liquid just makes the wraps soggy and messy.  If you like more sauce, try some homemade mayonnaise or a good quality egg mayo to spread on the wraps first. Otherwise, do what I did and mash the avocado onto the wrap before adding everything else.

Recipes like this are really just an idea. Use the ingredients that you have on hand or what you like. You can be as creative or boring as you like and they will still taste great!


Salmon And Salad Wraps


A bunch of asparagus
2 salmon fillets, skin removed and pin boned
1 avocado, halved, skin removed and cut into chunky pieces
1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into sticks
A handful of cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
A few handfuls of mixed lettuce/baby spinach/rocket
A handful of parsley and coriander leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Flavoured extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
A packet of wraps or Mountain Bread of your choice

Snap the woody stems off the asparagus and place the spears in a heat proof dish. Pour over boiling water from the kettle and let sit for 5 minutes. Drain, cut in half and toss with salt, pepper and a drizzle of the flavoured oil. 

Place salmon fillets in a cold frying pan and place over medium high heat. This will help to render the fat.
Cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden and cooked to your liking. You still want a little bit of pink on the inside. Season to taste and set aside.

On a platter, arrange avocado, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, greens and asparagus.




On another platter, flake salmon fillets into chunks, scatter with herbs and place lemon wedges to the side.



To serve, put a wrap on a plate and top with a selection of some or all of the vegies and salmon. Squeeze some lemon over the top and roll up.

Enjoy!

Monday 3 November 2014

Brie And Mushroom Pie

This week for meat-free Monday I'm revisiting a favourite of mine.

Tonight we've been invited by some friends to a French wine tasting and I was asked to bring some food to share.  The wines are all going to be reds from Bordeaux, Burgundy, St Emillon, so I needed to come up with a food match that would compliment the wines, but also be portable.

Mushrooms are a wonderful 'meaty' vegetable and go so well with the wines from Burgundy, made from Pinot Noir. Combined with sweet caramelised onion and creamy brie, what more could you want?

This dish is also great for a dinner party because you can do all the preparation earlier in the day, leaving the baking until just before you are planning to serve. Tonight I'll take the pie uncooked and then just pop it in the oven when I get to my friend's house. Twenty minutes or so later, we'll have a beautiful, golden pastry filled with melted brie and soft onion and mushroom. Perfect with a couple of drinks and great company!


Because the filling and pastry of this pie are so rich, a simple salad is perfect as a side dish. Crisp and refreshing rocket, pear and parmesan is a favourite of mine, but you could serve with any salad you like.

Brie And Mushroom Pie

2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
A couple of drizzles of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp honey
400g button mushrooms, sliced
120g brie cheese, chopped
2 Tbs parsley, chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme, leaves picked
2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, defrosted
Salt and pepper to taste
egg wash to brush



Place onions in a bowl, cover with damp paper towel and microwave for 3-4 minutes, or until soft.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry onions and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until lightly golden and soft.
Add the honey and cook for a further 2 minutes or until caramelised. Set aside to cool.
In a separate frying pan, heat another drizzle of oil and fry the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until tender and they have released their juices. Season to taste.
When cool, mix the mushrooms and onion together and stir through parsley, thyme and cheese.


Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Place one sheet of pastry on a baking try lined with baking paper.
Heap the filling into the middle of the pastry square, leaving at least 1cm around the entire edge.
Use the egg wash to brush around the edge and cover with the second sheet of pastry. Try to push out any air in the parcel and gently press the edges of the pastry together to seal.
Cut a couple of holes in the top of the pastry to let steam escape and then brush with the egg wash.



Bake for about 20-25 mins, or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

To serve, cut into large pieces and serve with a simple rocket, pear and parmesan salad.

Enjoy!