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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Chargrilled Eggplant And Zucchini Salad

After a long weekend away in Tasmania, eating and drinking lots of delicious things, I was in desperate need of some simple vegetables!

As much as I love to eat out and enjoy new and different food, nothing beats a simple homemade meal.

With a few vegies left in the fridge before we headed away, I knew that they needed to be made into something before they would be wasted. This salad is the result of using up leftovers, and I must admit that it was pretty tasty.

The creamy Danish feta combined with the oil and lemon juice to make a lovely dressing on the vegetables. Being chargrilled first, the zucchini and eggplant were nice and soft, but still with a little bit of bite. You could also roast some red capsicum and add that to the salad for extra sweetness.

I served my salad so that the vegetables were still warm. I think the flavour in the eggplant and zucchini are much nicer when they aren't too cold. If you were preparing the vegetables earlier in the day, either take them out of the fridge an hour or so before serving to warm up, or give them a short burst in the microwave to heat them up.

Toasted almonds would also be perfect in this salad, if you didn't have any pinenuts. You just want something to add a little bit of toasty crunchiness.

Enjoy this salad on it's own or with some beautiful fresh crusty bread and butter.

Chargrilled Eggplant And Zucchini Salad

1 eggplant
1 zucchini
3 spring onions, trimmed and white and inner green parts cut into thin rounds
2 tsp toasted pinenuts, plus extra to serve
50g Danish feta, diced
A handful each of baby spinach and rocket
A sprig of parlsey, leaves coarsely chopped
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice eggplant and zucchini lengthways into 5mm thin slices.
Spray with an oil spray and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat and grill vegies for 2-3 minutes each side or until grill marks form and the vegetables are soft. The eggplant will need a little bit longer to soften.
Remove from the pan and allow to cool slightly.
Thinly slice each piece of eggplant or zucchini into long strips. You should get about 4 strips from the zucchini and 5 or 6 from the eggplant.
Put the eggplant and zucchini strips in a bowl with the spring onions, pinenuts, rocket, baby spinach, parsley and feta.
In a small jar, combine the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season the taste and shake to combine.
Pour about half of the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine. The feta should 'melt' and make a creamy dressing. Season to taste.

Serve the salad piled on to plates, topped with a few extra toasted pinenuts.

Enjoy!