An Easy, Tasty Lunch

Given that I work part time and have two young children, lunch is normally leftovers from the night before or an assortment of whatever is in the fridge and cupboard on a particular day. It might be cheese on toast, noodles with tuna, a sandwich or salad. Often it's whatever the kids haven't eaten!

Today, we'd done our shopping and running around in the morning and I felt like making something a bit more fancy than usual for lunch. At the moment I have a bit of a thing for peas and broad beans. I love all green veg, but find that the sweetness of these two is amazing. They are so versatile and can be used whole or pureed, in soups, salad, pasta or risotto.

After having a bit of a think and a play around, I decided to make a tart of sorts, using up bits and pieces that I already had. As much as homemade pastry is delicious, sometimes you don't have the time to make it. Ready made, frozen pasty does the job!

This tart was so easy to make and could be whipped up for a impromtu lunch, weekend afternoon nibble with drinks or a light dinner. It was so easy the kids helped me to make it! Not much skill involved.

Pea, Broad Bean, Feta and Mint Tart

1 cup of frozen peas
1 cup of frozen broad beans
50g creamy feta cheese (I like Danish feta)
A Squeeze of lemon juice
10 mint leaves, plus extra to serve
1 sheet of frozen shortcrust or puff pastry, defrosted
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Cook the frozen peas and broad beans in boiling water on the stove top or in the microwave for 2-3 mins. Drain and allow to cool.
Remove the outer skins from the broad beans and discard.
Place the peas, beans, half the feta, lemon juice and mint into a food processor and puree until still a bit chunky.
Season to taste.

Place your square of pastry on a lightly greased oven tray.
Score a line about 1cm from the edge, all the way around, to make a central area where you want your filling.
Spread the filling into the middle of the pastry, making sure it goes right to the edges of the line you have drawn.
Place the tray in the oven and bake tart for about 15 mins, or until the pasty is golden and puffed.
Remove from the baking tray to a board or serving plate, sprinkle with the remaining feta that has been cut into small cubes and a few extra chopped mint leaves.

Enjoy!

And To Drink...

Normally I wouldn't have a drink at lunch time on a Monday, but after making a nicer lunch than usual, I thought 'why not?'. Anyway, there was an open bottle of wine in the fridge that was calling out to me!

This bottle of Penfolds Koonunga Hill 2008 Autumn Riesling was bought years ago and has been sitting in the cellar. I think we bought it in 2008 when we were last in the Barossa, so it's been waiting 5 years to be drunk!

Being an Autum Riesling, it is more in the style of a German wine, so is a bit lighter and a little sweeter. Perfect for a midday tipple! Having a few years of age on it, the fruit flavours weren't as obvious, but it was much more complex. It had aromas of honeysuckle and peach, with some fine acidity.

It matched perfectly with the sweetness of the peas and beans in the tart. The saltiness of the feta made the honeysuckle and acidity more obvious, but not overpowering.

Unfortunately I enjoyed the tart with the kids and the wine on my own, but this would have been great if the girls had come around!

Super Salmon

I love salmon! There, I've said it. Whether it be smoked or fresh, you can use this amazing fish in so many dishes. Really, if there was no other fish or seafood available, I wouldn't mind at all. My husband, on the other hand, doesn't really like it that much and can't stand the smell when it's cooking. As a trade off, I try to make salmon much more interesting when I cook it, to satisfy both of us.

Australia is so lucky to have some of the best salmon easily available to the general customer. Every fish shop or market will usually have either Tassal or Huon salmon from Tasmania. Both are amazing. I'm lucky enough to get to the Tassal store in Kew to buy my fish, where it is so fresh and they have a great range of different products. Here I'm in salmon heaven - cold smoked salmon, hot smoked salmon, salmon sausages, marinated fillets and whole fish. Last Easter we did a whole roasted salmon on the BBQ, which was fantastic!

For this dinner, I thought I'd keep the salmon simple, but match it with strong and flavoursome sides which would complement the fish. It's hard to overpower salmon.

The mash is actually a carrot and ricotta puree, which added some sweetness. The peas used some more of the fresh ricotta, in addition to fresh mint and lemon rind. The combination of the creaminess of the ricotta, the sweetness of the peas and the freshness of the lemon and mint were beautiful.

Again, this was such a simple dish to prepare, so it's great for a worknight meal when you want something quick, healthy and tasty.

 

Salmon with Carrot Puree and Ricotta Peas

 

2 salmon fillets, pin-boned and skin on
salt and pepper
A drizzle of Olive oil

Heat the drizzle of oil in a fry pan until really hot. You don't need too much oil as the salmon will release its own oil on cooking.
Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place skin side down in the pan. You want the skin to become all crispy, so leave it for about 5 minutes.
Carefully turn the salmon, trying to keep the crispy skin intact. Cook on the other side for another 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. You want the centre to be barely cooked, otherwise it will be dry and horrible.
When cooked, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to rest for a few minutes while you get the sides organised.

Carrot Puree

4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
50g fresh ricotta
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook carrots in some water in the microwave or stovetop until tender. Drain.
Place cooked carrots, garlic and ricotta in a small food processor and whiz until a fine puree is achieved. Season with salt and pepper.
Return puree to clean saucepan and heat through again when ready to serve.

 

Ricotta Peas

 

100g frozen peas
50g fresh ricotta
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
A handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook frozen peas in some water in the microwave or stovetop until tender. Drain and keep warm.
Put peas in a bowl and stir through ricotta, lemon rind, mint and salt and pepper to taste. Try to break up the ricotta, but don't make it too mushy.


To serve, place a spoonful of the carrot puree on the plate. Carefully place the salmon on top, then scatter with the pea mixture. If you want to be all fancy, garnish with a few more mint leaves and a grinding of cracked black pepper. Enjoy!

And To Drink.....

Even though you really don't have to stick to the 'red wine goes with red meat and white wine goes with chicken and fish' mantra, I still think that a white goes better with salmon. Yes, it's a meaty, full flavoured fish, but a more delicate floral white wine can be a perfect match.

This Leconfield 2006 Old Vines Riesling from Coonawarra in South Australia was fantastic. Being an aged wine it had a lot more complexity to it and was starting to develop a slight kerosene touch, which I love in an older Riesling. There was still plenty of fresh, fruity flavours that you would expect in a wine of this type.

The acidity in the wine cut through the richness of the salmon perfectly and matched with the lemon zest in the peas. The sweetness of the carrot puree also brought out a more honeysuckle aroma and taste.

The wines from Leconfield are always great, so it's worth looking out for them in the bottle shop or in restaurants. They make a Riesling and Chardonnay and also a range of reds, which the Coonawarra region is more know for.

Sensational Sides

Not everything we eat in the eat quaff laugh household is super fancy. Sometimes we like to keep it simple and just have steak, chicken or pork with salad or vegies. For me, what really makes a meal is the quality of the meat, but also the side dish that you serve with it. It doesn't necessarily need to be anything complicated. Sometimes the best dishes are those that use fresh produce straight out of the garden or from the market, prepared simply. You want the hero of the dish to be the beautiful vegetables.

Here are a few of my favourite side dishes to go with a variety of meals. I guarantee they will zhush up your dinner time!

Asparagus 

 

Now that Australian asparagus is back in season, we've been eating it at least once or twice a week. It would have to be one of my favourite vegetables and is best served simply. I love to just blanch the asparagus spears, so that they retain a bit of crunch and then drizzle with a lemon infused olive oil, a grinding of salt and pepper and some finely grated lemon rind. Delish!

Alternatively, find a good quality aioli from the supermarket or deli and drizzle over the blanched spears. If you have the time and energy, make your own Hollandaise. I recently discovered an amazing fresh parsley and cracked black pepper aioli from Fifya. It was delicious slightly warmed and spooned over the hot spears. A perfect match with any sort of meat.

To blanch the asparagus, simply snap off the woody ends, place in a heatproof dish and pour over boiling water from the kettle. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes. If the spears are really thick, you might need to do this twice. You can also cook them in the microwave by putting the spears in a container with a lid and covering with a small amount of water. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes, then drain.

Broccolini

Broccolini is another green veg which is available most of the year round and is a great side vegetable. It is so underrated! Broccolini is also best served simply, and similar to asparagus, doesn't need much done to it.

If you don't like broccoli, then give it's more tender cousin a go. You can eat the whole thing, including the stalks. I think they're the best bit! 

Simply trim the ends and blanch the broccolini in the same way as asparagus. You can either pour boiling water over the stalks and let it sit for 5 minutes, or microwave with a light covering of water for 2-3 minutes. The thicker the stalks, the longer it will take to cook. You want it to be just tender, not soft and soggy!

I like to toss the cooked broccolini with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, finely grated lemon rind and some toasted pine nuts. The nuttiness of the pine nuts really goes well with the flavour of the greens.

Roasted Capsicum and Chargrilled Zucchini with Persian Fetta

This is one of my all time favourite summer salads. Roasted red capsicum is so easy to make and tastes much better than the stuff from the supermarket. There are so many uses for the capsicum, but this salad is easy and super tasty.

1 red capsicum
1 zucchini
A handful of mint or basil leaves
Persian fetta or soft goats curd

All you need to do is cut a red capsicum in half, remove the stalk, seeds and membranes and place cut side down on a piece of foil under the grill. Grill on high until the skin in blistered and blackened. The blacker the better! Wrap the foil around the capsicum like a little parcel and leave for about 10 minutes, until it is cool enough to handle. The skin should then easily peel away from the flesh, leaving you with sweet, beautiful roasted capsicum and some amazing juice.

For the zucchini, slice lengthways into 1/2cm thick slices, spray lightly with oil spray and season with salt and pepper. Heat a chargrill pan on high and grill the slices on each side until the zucchini softens and you can see grill marks on the cut sides. Set aside to cool.

To assemble the salad, alternately layer zucchini, capsicum, torn fresh mint or basil and feta. You might get two or three layers, depending on how big the capsicum and zucchini are. Season with freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and any of the juices that came out of the capsicum when it was resting.

This is best served at room temperature to really appreciate the flavour.

Mushrooms

 

I love mushrooms of all shapes and sizes and would eat them every day if I could.  They are great as a vegetarian meal, stuffed with all sorts of goodness, or used as a side dish. Again, I love to keep it simple. 

Thickly slice whatever type of mushroom you prefer and fry up in a pan with a knob of butter and a drizzle of olive oil. You want to cook them until they start to release their own juices and become soft and soak up the butter and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, throw in a handful of chopped thyme leaves and a clove of crushed garlic and continue to cook until fragrant.

Mushies cooked this way are great served over a piece of steak as a simple mushroom sauce. You could also toast thick slices of ciabatta or sourdough and pile up with the mushroom mix, bruschetta style. Add a few slices of bocconcini or shavings of parmesan, if you like. What could be more tasty for a quick lunch or light dinner?

Lemongrass Chicken

A few weeks ago we dropped in to the Coburg Farmers Market, which runs on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month at the Coburg North Primary School. I'd been meaning to go for ages and was looking forward to trying and buying some delicious fresh produce.

We came away with bags of beautiful food and bellies full of delicious treats. There was amazing organic lamb and beef, local artisan chocolate and organic vegetables. Another of these treats was an amazing Lemongrass Paste, made by Under the Pickle Tree. It is a blend of lemongrass, onion, garlic and spices and is absolutely delicious! The recipe suggestion on the jar is to use it to marinate chicken, and that's exactly what I did. It would work fabulously with prawns or a firm fleshed white fish too. In fact, it's so good that you could eat it straight out of the jar on fresh bread!

To go with the Asian flavours of the paste, I thought I'd make a warm noodle salad, of sorts, using vermicelli noodles and some crisp vegies. The chicken was really the hero of the dish with its strong and bold flavours.

 

Lemongrass Chicken and Noodle Salad

2 chicken breasts, chopped into large chunks
2 Tbs Under the Pickle Tree Lemongrass Paste
Olive oil for cooking
100g rice vermicelli noodles
1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin slices
1/2 a bunch of asparagus, woody ends snapped off, cut into 2cm pieces
A handful of snow peas, top and tailed and sliced into thin slices
1/2 a red capsicum, sliced into thin slices
A drizzle each of soy sauce, Kecap Manis and sweet chilli sauce, or to taste
A handful of fresh coriander, chopped

Marinate the chicken in the lemongrass paste for 1 hour in the fridge.
While the chicken is marinating, prepare the noodles and vegies.
Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl.
Cut all vegetables into thin slices and add to the bowl with the noodles.
Pour over boiling water until all the noodles and vegies are covered. Allow to sit for 10 minutes and then drain. Keep warm.
This will blanch the vegies to slightly start the cooking process, but ensure they are still crisp and fresh when you eat them. The noodles should be soft.
Toss the soy sauce, kecap manis and sweet chilli through the noodles, to your taste.
Toss through fresh coriander to serve.

For the chicken, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frypan over high heat.
Add the chicken and all the marinade and cook until the chicken is browned on the outside, but the middle is cooked. Don't over cook as you still want the meat to be juicy.

Serve the chicken and any pan juices over the top of the noodle salad.

And To Drink....

On a warmish Friday night in Spring, a Sauvignon Blanc was the perfect match to go with the lemongrass chicken. Not just any old sauv blanc, mind you! Claymore are a winery from the Clare Valley in South Australia, who also have vineyards in the Adelaide Hills. They have quirky names for all of their wines, using song or album titles, from U2 to Nirvana! This wine is a blend of fruit from Clare and the Adelaide Hills, which gives it a certain freshness.

Generally I'm not much of a fan of Sauvignon Blanc, particularly the New Zealand variety, which I find a bit too green and full on. I can handle them on a super hot summers day, but don't really want to sip on them with a nice meal. An Adelaide Hills wine, on the other hand is a different story. The wine is still dry, green and acidic, but not so strong. The flavours are a lot more mellow and go much better with food. Think green apple and passionfruit. This one was delicious!

Claymore are definitely worth looking out for, if you can find them. We have bought a number of bottles of their wine (cases in fact!) and have always enjoyed them, particularly the rose and the Riesling. They also make a great range of quaffing and special occasion reds and an interesting sparkling Riesling.

Beetroot and Broad Beans

After an amazing dinner at Albert Street Food and Wine last night, tonight it's back to something more plain and simple.

As much as I love to eat meaty dishes, it's nice to have a lighter vegetarian option every so often. After the excess of last night, in both the food and wine department, this was the perfect meal.

Falafel are usually made only with chickpeas, but this version packs a flavour and colour punch with a mixture of beetroot, chickpeas and broad beans. Being oven baked, rather than fried, they are a healthier version too. Wrap them up with a tasty parsley salad and some yoghurt sauce and you have a great tasting meal.  Perfect as a light summer dinner or an easy lunch.

You can make the falafel in advance and keep them in the fridge, so this recipe is great when you want to prepare ahead. Just make sure you cover the baking tray, otherwise the fridge will take on a very garlicky aroma!

Beetroot, Chickpea and Broad Bean Falafel

 

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup coriander leaves and stalks
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
200g frozen broad beans, cooked as per packet instructions, drained and cooled
2 medium beetroot, peeled and chopped
2 Tbs tahini
2 tsp ground cumin
Mountain bread or other wraps to serve

Place all ingredients, other than bread, in a food processor and whiz until it reaches a pasty consistency.
Scrape down the sides as you go to make sure everything is mixed together well.
Season to taste.
Roll tablespoon sized amounts into balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.
Spray falafel with oil spray and bake for 25 to 30 mins or until crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

Yoghurt Sauce

1 cup natural yoghurt
1 Tbs mint, chopped
1 tsp sumac

Combine yoghurt and mint in a small bowl. Sprinkle sumac over the top.

 

Parsley Salad

1 cup parsley leaves
A handful of mixed salad leaves, rocket or baby spinach
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
A drizzle each of extra virgin olive oil and verjuice to dress

Mix parsley, salad leaves and cherry tomatoes in a bowl.
Drizzle over oil and verjuice and toss to combine

Boozey Chicken With Mushrooms

As the weather starts warming up and the days get progressively longer, it's nice to start thinking about all those dishes that go nicely with a crisp glass of white wine. Riesling would have to be one of my favourites. Perfect to drink on its own on a sunny day, sitting outside with a good book or foodie magazine, or to match with something tasty to eat.

This morning started off cold and gloomy, but turned into a beautiful sunny day. Perfect for wining and dining! The nights are still pretty chilly at the moment, so a warming dish is on the cards.
After flicking through some cook books during the week, I thought that a boozy chicken casserole was in order. Full of flavour, but light enough that when the weather is a little bit nicer, you don't feel too full.

Riesling and chicken are a perfect match. Add to that the flavour of slow cooked bacon, onion and mushrooms and you have a wonderful spring meal on the last night before daylight savings begins.

I currently have a fascination with green peas and ricotta, so this had to be paired with the chicken as a side dish. A simple combo of peas, ricotta, lemon rind and olive oil. Perfect to cut through the richness of the cream in the casserole. The only thing to make it better, a fresh baguette to mop up the sauce!

Chicken with Riesling and Mushrooms

4 skinless, boneless chicken marylands (or 8 thigh fillets)
A couple of drizzles of olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
100g bacon, diced
200g swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
3 sprigs of thyme
1 cup Riesling (or other dry white wine)
1 cup chicken stock
150ml cream
Salt and pepper to taste
A handful of chopped parsley
A crusty baguette to serve

Trim chicken of obvious fat and cut into large chunks, roughly 3cm pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large saucepan and brown chicken in batches until seared on all sides. You don't want to crowd the pan, otherwise the chicken will stew, not brown.
Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Heat another drizzle of oil in the same pan and fry bacon and onion at a low heat until just beginning to soften. Add garlic for about a minute, until it is fragrant.
Add sliced mushrooms and thyme to the same pan and cook over moderate heat until the mushrooms start to release their juices.
Pour the wine in and let it sizzle away. Add the stock, stir to remove all the bits from the bottom of the pan, then return the chicken and any juices.
Cover, bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 mins.
After 30 mins remove the lid and cook for another 20 mins, allowing some of the liquid to evaporate.
Just before serving, stir through the cream, parsley and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
Serve with the crusty baguette and a glass or two of the Riesling :-)

 

Minty Ricotta Peas

150g frozen peas
50g ricotta
5 mint leaves, finely chopped
Finely grated rind of half a lemon
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook peas in boiling water for 2 minutes until soft. Drain.
Place in a bowl with crumbled ricotta, lemon rind and mint.
Drizzle over as much oil as you like and season with salt and pepper.
Done!

And To Drink....

 

The Riesling we had tonight is not one I am particularly familiar with. We were given it by a friend some time ago and it's been sitting in the wine rack looking sad and forlorn!
It's a Dinny Goonan 2011 Riesling from the Otway Coast in Southern Victoria. Having absolutely no idea what it was going to be like, I was surprised that it was so crisp and clean with a nice acidity, but also some sweetness. Amazing green apple on the nose, but a taste of stone fruits and honeysuckle.
It was delicious!
The wine matched perfectly with the chicken, the acidity cutting through the creaminess of the sauce. Definitely one I will be looking out for again and again!

Eggs and Asparagus For Brunch

I love to go out for breakfast or brunch on weekends or on days when I'm not working, but now with two little kids, it's not the relaxing affair it once was. No more leisurely reading the paper, ordering extra coffee and taking time to eat something delicious. It's more like quickly shoveling something in before the kids go mental and tear the cafe apart!

Cooking a nice meal for brunch at home has become more the norm lately. Eggs and bacon are always good, but sometimes it's nice to do something a bit different and a bit more fancy. Sometimes you want to feel like you are eating something that you would get at a cafe.

I love asparagus and soft poached eggs, so when I saw that Australian asparagus was in season, I jumped at the chance to buy some and cook up a breakfast storm.

As a lot of you know, I subscribe to Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine and get lots of my foodie inspiration from its glorious recipes and fantastic photos. In the most recent issue, they have a dish for roasted asparagus and eggs, aimed as a quick mid week meal. Why not tweak it a bit and make it into a fabulous breakfast dish instead?

We ate ours with some fresh baguette from a local patisserie, but you could use any sort of bread you like. Toasted sourdough with lashings of butter would be great too!

Asparagus with Poached Eggs and Herby Tomato Sauce

1 1/2 bunches of asparagus, woody ends snapped off
A drizzle of olive oil
4 eggs
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 ripe tomato, diced
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs each chopped parsley and mint
Salt and pepper to taste
100g fresh ricotta
Fresh baguette or other bread to serve

Prepare the sauce first.
Heat extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan or frypan and add shallot and garlic and fry until soft but not brown.
Add chopped tomato, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Take off the heat and set aside to infuse. Just before serving, stir through the fresh parsley and mint.
Place asparagus in a heat proof dish and pour over boiling water. Stand for a minute or two and then drain.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a grill pan and fry blanched asparagus spears for a minute or so until lightly golden and tender. Keep warm.
For the poached eggs, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and turn down the heat until it is barely simmering. Crack eggs individually  into cups, then slowly tip into the simmering water. Poach for about 3 minutes for runny yolks.
When eggs are cooked, remove from the water with a slotted spoon to drain the water.
To serve, divide asparagus spears between two plates and top with two poached eggs each. Blob ricotta cheese around and over the top. Carefully spoon the tomato and herb sauce over the top.
Finish with extra cracked black pepper and your favourite bread.