Spanish Chickpea & Spinach Stew (Garbanzos con Espinacas)

I totally love my sweets and processed foods, but you only realise how they lack when you eat something that is delicious, nutritious and made of good, unprocessed natural ingredients. I find myself taking a spoonful and sitting up a little straighter, and thinking "Why the heck don't we eat like this everyday?"
It's the type of food that fills you with a sense of nurturing your system. You find yourself thinking on this food often, wanting more of it in the future, yet being completely satisfied and not needing more after a serve. All that processed food leaves you feeling momentarily satisfied, then almost instantly wanting more. It's like a drug. It doesn't fill you.
That's why I usually don't buy cereals for my kids, but give them porridge made on milk instead. After a bowl of cereal, my kids are asking me for snacks. After a bowl of porridge, I don't hear the word snack for a few hours.
This is one of those high fibre, super nutritious and utterly delicious meals that eaves your tummy feeling happy for a long time. If you're vegan or vegetarian, this is also the perfect meal for you and will leave you with a happy face as well.
It's great for meat free Fridays if you're Catholic like I am. (In case you where unaware, we traditionally don't eat meat on Fridays. Fish is permissible.) If you totally need your meat in every meal, shredded roast chicken is perfect in this dish too.
Whip this up and your house will be smelling amazing, with infusions of garlic, onion, paprika and cumin. You can serve with rice or cous cous- pasta would probably go well too! Buen provecho!

SPANISH CHICKPEA AND SPINACH STEW (Adapted from Lazy Cat Kitchen)

2 tbsp oil
2 heaped tsp crushed garlic
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
3 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp brown sugar (optional)
2x 400g tins diced tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
100g baby spinach, stalks removed
1/4 cup almond flakes

Heat up the oil in a large fry pan. Add the onion and cook on medium with the lid on, until almost translucent. Add the garlic and cook, stirring a little, for two minutes.
Add the spices and stir through the onion and garlic mix, careful not to burn these ingredients.
Add tomato paste, combine thoroughly.
Pour in the tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper to your taste. (At this point you can add the optional sugar if your tomatoes are very tangy, or just leave out.)
Turn the heat to low and let the sauce thicken, with no lid on. Stir it from time to time so that it doesn't burn.
Stir in the chickpeas. Lastly, add the spinach and heat until wilted. Garnish with the almonds. Scoop generous serving on rice and enjoy!

SERVES 4

Tomato & Spinach Tortellini Soup

I was only 19 when I met my husband and started dating him, so I had only been on a handful of proper dates with other people up until then. So maybe I just don't know what's the norm, but I always thought I'd see swags of other young people out for dinner beside us, wining and dining. Do young people not do dinner dates in the 2000's? Where do they go, and what do they do? We always seemed like the youngest ones eating out in a restaurant, surrounded by couples aged 30+. Was dining out uncool? Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I think it's an amazing way and opportunity to get to know people better, and to me that's what dating is partially about. Those talks over dinner were priceless! I wouldn't have traded them for drinks with my boyfriend in a noisy bar. You know, the ones with such loud music that you have to yell, and then just end up giving up and dousing down another drink, with the hope to soothe your sore throat?
Okay, I realise I'm beginning to sound old now.
Moving on! What's your favourite cuisine? I have two in particular,  French and Italian, closely followed by Indian. Take me out for Italian, and I'll probably be hanging around you for life.
If you're looking for great spots to go out for dinner in Brisbane, try out the Ceylon Inn for Indian, Boucher for French and Mario Sarti for Italian. They're three of our favourite places to dine out. And they never disappoint.
Neither will this Italian recipe I'm about to share with you, inspired and adapted from a blog called Diethood. Now you know I don't believe in diets, and this soup is filled with delicious carbs (oh yeah!) It's also vegetarian, so it is perfect for those who are looking for meatless meals, which are great for Lent and Fridays. Or if you don't indulge in meat. If you'd like a meat addition, you can add any sort of tortellini, and many have a meat filling. I used spinach and ricotta filled agnelotti and it was just divine! The recipe feeds many mouths too, and is great with a dollop of sour cream and some nice, crispy garlic bread on the side.

TOMATO AND SPINACH TORTELLINI SOUP (Adapted from Diethood)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 cans diced tomato with added herbs (basil, garlic and oregano)
4 cups passata/tomato sauce (pasta sauce)
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 package tortellini (frozen or fresh is fine)
1 cup fresh baby spinach, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Place the oil and butter in a saucepan, and heat until the butter has melted. Ad the chopped onion and cook for two minutes or until somewhat softened. Add the garlic for a further two minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and bring to the boil on a medium-high heat.
Add the stock and return to the boil. Then add the tortellini and spinach. Cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with optional dollop of sour cream and crusty garlic bread.

Serves 6-8

Crumbed Parmesan Zucchini Fries

I don't follow fads. I pride myself on not following them. For example, when adding bacon to every dessert became popular in the cooking blogosphere, I did not go there.
When everyone had their cake-pop faze, I refused to go there too. Regardless of how pretty some people made them. I think people can get totally carried away on the waves of what's popular without thinking.
But I have been meaning for a long time to make zucchini fries. That's one craze I cant resist, and when I saw them featured on Chelsy's blog, Magnia, I knew I was about to taste those lovely, crumbed vegetable sticks. I know that doesn't particularly sound appetizing, but they make great vegetarian appetizers, or a delicious, meatless side to your Lenten dinner plate.
And we're sneaking veggies in here.
In a very delicious way.
I was delighted to discover through my designated Secret Recipe Club reveal blog, that magnia means eat in Italian. I'm a total sucker for Italian food, and Chelsy's blog is packed with yummy recipes that show off that gorgeous culture.
Seriously, if I were ever to travel the world, I'd go directly to Italy and do a culinary tour and put on at least 20kg just from taste testing. It would be heaven.
There has been a request or two in the past few months for some Italian foods to be featured here--so, you have your wish in these crunchy on the outside, soft in the inside Crumbed Parmesan Zucchini Fries. Actually, they're not even fries, because they're baked, so I suppose that title is a little misleading.
Chelsy's recipe had pecan meal instead of bread crumbs, but I found myself nut-less, and hence I omitted the nut for bread.
I also made my own Italian Seasoning, because I'm not Italian enough to have it kept in my pantry. Shame on me! Luckily the home made Italian Seasoning has been a hit since I made it, and will certainly become a staple in this house. Home made is always better--but feel free to simplify this recipe by buying your own Italian Seasoning all bottled up from the store if you're pressed for time.

CRUMBED PARMESAN ZUCCHINI FRIES (Adapted from Magnia)

1 large zucchini
1 egg
1 egg white
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. Italian Seasoning
salt to taste

Preheat the oven at 220C. Line a tray with non stick baking paper and set aside.
Cut the zucchini down the centre lengthways, then halve both pieces again and again until you have long, thin strips of zucchini. (the thinner the tastier!)
Combine the egg and egg white in a small bowl, whisking until well combined.
In a shallow dish or plate, combine the Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, seasoning and salt to taste.
Dip each zucchini strip into the egg mixture and shake off the excess. then coat it in the dry crumb mixture and place it on the prepared tray. Repeat until all the zucchini strips are coated. Then place the tray in the oven for 10 minutes before flipping the zucchini fries and cooking for a further 10 minutes. Serve immediately with a dipping sauce or salsa.


 HOME MADE ITALIAN SEASONING (Adapted from Food.com)

3 tablespoons dried basil
3 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
a pinch of black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a mortar and crush with a pestle until well ground. 

Place in an airtight jar for up until 6 months.

Raspberry Mango Yogurt Slide

Some have claimed to have put on pounds looking at this blog.
It's hazardous.
It's wicked.
It's to be had in moderation. For sure.
There's no harm in looking, in dreaming and drooling.
I say don't touch what you can't afford, but it's hard sometimes, especially when somethings dripping with chocolatey goodness and it's been one of those days!
Trust me. I know what it's like. I get to that stage several times during the day, where a quick sugar fix is super tempting, just to pick my energy up, even if only momentarily.
But considering I'm about to gain about 15-20kg in the next five months, I don't really need any help with extra delights adding to the grand total. (Just so you know, I'm expecting a wee one, and my last two pregnancies have resulted in whopping, healthy babies).
So where do I now turn? In the discovery of this chilled yogurt and fruit blend, that both satisfies my sweet tooth, while remaining nutritious and delicious. It's also a super refreshing snack to have on these hot summer days...I personally don't know anything quite as refreshing.
I make my own yogurt with an easi-yo flask. Just so you know, it's totally amazing with no added sugar, unless you want it--so you know what's going into it. Yogurt is really healthy for you and contains lots of live bacteria cultures, calcium, aids in nutrient absorption, aids in weight loss, helps prevent infections, and is said to reduce the severity of PMS. Worth a try, right?
Combined with my one of my favourite berries, the raspberry, and my favourite tropical fruit, the mango, this is a to-die for blend that you laze back and scoop from the glass. It's not quite a smoothie, it's not quite frozen yogurt, but it's a gorgeous in between.

For the mango version (which is equally as divine) visit here.

RASPBERRY MANGO YOGURT SLIDE (A Lick the Spoon Original)

1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup frozen mango
3/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

Combine the fruit and yogurt in a food blender. Blend until all the fruit has been pureed and well incorporated into the yogurt. Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Serves 1

Zucchini Boats

Have you ever come across someone that says they don't like eating something particular, and then you find out that they have never tasted it in their life? Have you ever wondered what makes people dislike certain  things they know nothing about? Just because an eggplant is called an eggplant doesn't mean it tastes like egg. Just because a chocolate icing looks brown like mud doesn't mean it tastes like mud!
You would think I'm talking solely about little children, but I'm talking adults here too. Well, I'm included there, I often find myself feeling prejudice against the poor old cauliflower, the parsnip and spinach. I think it comes down to families and what is frequently eaten and not eaten in the home. I love when people say they don't like something in particular because it sets me on a mission to convert them over.
This instance I converted myself!
Besides my zucchini soup which I love, I found it hard to prepare zucchini in a way that didn't repulse me. How could this stuff be cooked in a way that made it delicious? Well I was delighted when I came across this recipe for Zucchini Boats, and they look gourmet too (Something that never goes astray in my books). They're very easy to prepare and don't use many ingredients, but they pack a punch of flavour.
My little son and I found some cherry tomatoes that had grown in our very neglected vegie patch--somehow surviving the deathbed that it grew up in. We picked them, sliced them and put them on this garlic and lemon seasoned zucchini half, amongst the cheese that was then grilled and browned into a sizzling, delicious, golden crust.

ZUCCHINI BOATS (adapted from Proud Italian Cook)

4 small zucchinis
1 tbsp crushed garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
dash of lemon juice
pinch of salt and pepper to taste
1 punnet (approximately 16) cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese

Set the oven at 180C.
Slice the zucchinis lengthways and arrange on a baking tray. Slice a slither off the bottoms if they do not lay evenly. Using a teaspoon, scrape the seeds out of each zucchini half, and discard.
In a small bowl, combine crushed garlic, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Brush the tops and ridges of the zucchinis with this mixture, then place the tray in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle the mozzarella in the zucchini ridges. Top with halves cherry or grape tomatoes, then sprinkle with a little Parmesan. Place underneath a hot grill or broiler and cook until sizzling and the cheese has browned. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 zucchini boats

Zesty Cannelloni

If you're in Australia and you love food, you have to make a trip to Melbourne. I know I am biased about that beautiful city, but it's been my romping ground for a while. Sadly I have moved away from it, only to take some pretty fond memories with me and a list of great foodie haunts. I've been away too long it seems, as new and exciting restaurants have popped up all over the place. I'm keen to try Chin Chin on Flinder's Lane, Manchester Press and Chez Dre. I cant say how good these spots are because I haven't been yet but the reviews on Urbanspoon sound pretty fantastic.
My hot spots for Melbourne visitors would be:

Lygon Street in Carlton, to tease and satisfy the Italian in you
Brunetti's for to-die-for cakes, great coffee, biscuits and desserts. My kind of place.
Flinder's Street Station Spanish Donuts stand--hot churros like you've never tasted in your life!
Spaghetti Tree, for some seriously fine dining.

You can tell I like my Italian, right? There are lots of brilliant places to dine in Melbourne, as it has a large Italian community. That's mighty fine for someone like me who's favourite cuisine happens to be Italian. Anyone who thinks Italian is just pasta and pizza is seriously missing out...there are so many Italian foods that don't even come close to being pasta or pizza!
But pasta is my "one weakness". There's nothing like a good home made pasta, made from scratch, with love. Left to rise, stretched and re stretched through a pasta press. Cut out into little circles, filled with some delicious mixture. That's how I like it.
If you like Italian foods, you will most definitely enjoy this recipe for cannelloni. Think of mozzarella cheese melted over herby pasata, and home made pasta that has been wrapped around a delightful, zesty, ricotta, cottage cheese, and spinach filling. Everyone who tastes this delicious vegetarian dish will be wanting seconds. So make two batches. You won't regret it.

Obviously if you have the time, home made pasta wins over store bought any day. You can even make the pasta without a pasta press, if you have some brawn in those arms and a good rolling pin. Try to roll the pasta as thinly as possible without it breaking, as the texture makes all the difference and the thinner the pasta, the less cooking time is involved.

ZESTY CANNELLONI (adapted from Heart of the House)

Basic Pasta:

2 1/2 cups plain four
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup virgin olive oil

Filling:

1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp. crushed garlic
1 tbsp. olive oil
250g cooked spinach, chopped and drained
500g cottage cheese
500g fresh ricotta
100g parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs
grated zest of 1 lime
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (preferably flat leaved)
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar of pasata, or tomato based pasta sauce
1 cup cheese, grated (we suggest mozzarella)

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
To make the pasta, sift flour and salt into a large glass bowl. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, and break each egg into the well. Add oil. Using your fingertips, gradually blend the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Continue to blend little by little until a thick dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3-4 minutes until smooth and elastic. Leave dough on surface, cover with the mixing bowl and leave for 30-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the filling, place the onion and garlic in a fry pan and cook with the oil until softened. Add to a large bowl, along with the cooked spinach, cottage cheese, ricotta, half the Parmesan cheese, the eggs, zest, nutmeg and parsley. Mix thoroughly to combine and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Take a quarter of the pastry dough and run though the pasta press until very thin and stretched into a long portion. Cut as desired into squares (about 15 x 15 cm) and place 1/2 cup of the mixture in the centre of each. Roll up and place, seam down, into a 19x13 inch glass dish. (You could also use high-sided foil tray or something similar). Fill the ends with a little extra cheese mixture once in the dish.
Repeat with the remaining pasta dough and cheese mixture, lining all the pasta parcels up along side each other, until the tray is full and all the dough and mixture is used up. Top with pasata and remaining Parmesan and grated cheese.
Cook for 45 minutes covered in foil. Remove the covering and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 8 adults, with a side of veggies.

Mushroom Feta Risotto with Wilted Spinach

Some one asked me the other day what it's like to work in a kitchen. I mean a real kitchen, back of house with production lines and yelling chefs, giant ovens and long, stainless steel benches, and tall trolleys decked with plated food.
I had the privilege of working for the prestigious Peter Rowland Catering company when I lived in Melbourne. He started out selling sandwiches down on the beaches of Melbourne, and the business expanded to event catering--weddings, corporate dinners, galas, the Melbourne Cup Races, you name it. Their exclusive venues include the beautiful Rippon Lea Estate, Melbourne Museum, Port Melbourne Yacht Club, The Ian Potter Centre, Gardens House, The Chapter House, and many more fancy locations.
It was all rather hoitie toitie--imagine Melbourne's polo playing, Ferrari-owning crowd and you're right in amongst them. They notoriously didn't hire staff without a private school education or some sort of social connection, and just about every staff member was a son of this well known person, or so and so that knew so and so. I managed to get through on the private school education part, and probably because I could also twist my long fingers into bizarre shapes and hold three dinner plates at once. (There's a story there about a hot quail flying off the plate, but I'll leave that for another time).
I didn't particularly like mingling amongst the guests front of house, sporting heavy trays of wine and champagne glasses, but loved being assigned to the kitchen. It was always abuzz with certain excitement and pressure. Everything had to be just so. No that salad wasn't high enough! The jus was swirled too far to the centre of the plate! That scoop of caviar was too small! There was often yelling and swearing, red faces and irritability.
The chefs were basically like over-seers and were responsible for everyone, rushing from production line to production line, making sure everything was being plated impressively enough. They had the worst job, in my opinion. They had the time pressure upon them and had to sort of work around the time schedule of the event, even if it was not going to plan. If the speeches were going longer than expected at a wedding, and the desserts were due to come out after they finished, we had to try and keep them warm somehow until the signal came that we were ready to go. Then there was a huge influx of waiters rushing in and out with multiple plates, and then the hullabaloo was over within 5 minutes.
Sometimes we had to plate up as many as five course meals for over 1000 guests. That was the first day I came to work. It was an event held at Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building, and it was a sit down dinner. The kitchen was most impressive because it was all constructed on the day. You've never seen anything like it! There was a huge curtain separating the kitchen from the event, and it was the longest, largest kitchen set up you will ever see in your life. There were hundreds of long trestle tables set up for plating up food and as work benches, there were mobile ovens moved in and lined up in a row along the back wall. It was insane. I cant even tell you how many staff and chefs were working back of house. There were trolleys stacked with plated meals being wheeled to and fro and somehow we all had to work in silence so as not to disturb the event behind that curtain!
Anyway, I have many fond memories of working for Rowlands. And I have many more stories to come. I think I was very lucky to work with such creative and talented chefs and they taught me a lot about food.  Their food is amazing, and actually turned me from borderline vegetarian to full-on carnivore. Those chefs sure do know what they're doing with a steak! But...despite being carnivore, I have a wonderful vegetarian recipe for you all today. It really ticked my fancy because it was so packed with flavour and contained no meat what so ever. You cant go past a great risotto.

I didn't have any arborio rice, so I just used regular, and it was beautiful! I guess this made it less like a typical risotto however, and it meant less stirring (good for the busy mums who could do with a few more hands. I've noted the recipe changes below if you wish to use regular rice). Improvise as you like, I don't think you can go wrong with this flavour combo!

MUSHROOM FETA RISOTTO WITH WILTED SPINACH (adapted from Ezra Pound Cake)

Topping:
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tbsp. cooking oil
2 tbsp. white wine (we used a sweet Moscato, but dry white is great too--Chardonnay or Sauv. Blanc)
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to season

Risotto:
5 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if your are vegetarian)
3 tbsp. cooking oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 cups rice (arborio or carnaroli is recommended, see note below)
3/4 cup white wine
5 cups spinach, stemmed and chopped
1 cup feta, crumbled

To make the topping, heat oil in a medium frypan. Saute the mushrooms and garlic in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the wine and thyme and cook for a further minute. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Turn the stove off but leave the frypan on the element to keep warm until the rice is ready.
To make the risotto, heat the stock very gently so that it is at a low simmer. In another large pot, add the oil and saute the onions until light golden brown, on a medium-high heat. Add the arborio rice* to the onions and stir with a wooden spoon until all the contents are coated in oil. Add the wine and stir continuously until the liquid is completely absorbed. Take one cup of the stock at a time and add it to the rice. Cook, stirring frequently until each cup of stock is absorbed by the rice before adding the next cup of stock. Continue this process until all the stock is absorbed. It should take about 25 minutes and the rice should be al dente. Then add the chopped spinach and cook, covered, until the spinach is bright green. Stir the feta through the rice. Serve Topped with the mushroom mixture.

*If you are not using arborio rice and just the regular rice as I did, place the wine and simmering stock together in a large pot. Saute the onion in another pan and add to the stock mixture with the rice. Cook on high until boiling and turn down to medium. Give it a stir and leave it until holes appear in the rice. Turn it off and cover, leaving it on the hot element. It should absorb all the liquid just standing still. You can add some more liquid, such as wine or water if the rice is still looking too firm, and reheat until the rice is tender. Then stir though feta, wilted spinach and top with mushroom mixture.

Aubergine Tagine

Finally, a wonderful excuse hit me to take my wonderful red tagine down from it's nook in the kitchen corner. Moroccan has always been a favourite for us on those cooler night, and it certainly has been a cold May in Queensland! That combined with the fact that Gourmet Garden had sent me a variety of delicious herb and spice pastes was enough to get me looking for a wonderful main meal to whip up in this fabulous earthenware pot. We enjoyed this vegetarian dish as a meat-less alternative to Beef and Red Wine Casserole at our five course Gourmet Garden Dinner Party, and it was a big hit all around. It features a lovely combination of aromatic spices including cinnamon and turmeric and Gourmet Garden's very own garlic paste, coriander, and hot chilli paste. Paired with warm cous cous, this veggie packed meal was a real crowd-pleaser, and it's so healthy too.

Course 3:

MOROCCAN AUBERGINE TAGINE (Adapted from 500 Main Courses, Jenni Fleetwood, 2011)

1 medium aubergine, diced (1 cm cubes)
2 zucchinis, thickly sliced
4 tbsp. oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 tbsp. Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic Paste
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp. Gourmet Garden Coriander paste
1 tbsp. cinnamon, ground
2 tsp. turmeric, ground
2 1/2 cups passata
1 heaped tbsp. tomato paste
1 flat tbsp. Gourmet Garden Hot Chilli paste
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
fresh coriander to garnish

Sprinkle salt over diced aubergine and zucchini. Set aside in a bowl for 30 minutes. Heat the grill on high and place the aubergine and zucchini on a tray underneath. Grill until tender and golden, turning occasionally to prevent burning, for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in the tagine, or heavy based pot. Cook the onion and garlic until softened, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and saute until tender; then add the spices. Stir through for 1 minute until aromatic and well combined. Add passata, tomato paste and 2/3 cup water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the aubergine, zucchini, chickpeas and apricots and chilli paste. Cook, partially covered, for a further 15 minutes, adding a little extra water if the tagine becomes too dry. Serve with cous cous and garnish with fresh coriander if desired, and serve.
Serves 6

Curry Veggie Burgers

Are you vegetarian or carnivore? When I was a kid I was neither, I simply hated eating anything. Spinach was hidden on a little ledge under the dinner table, as were peas and the likes. Crackers were the only thing to be desired.Hence a skinny little runt I was. Determined not to let my own children get away with the same sneaky tricks I did, my husband and I selected a large wooden meal table without any secret ledges underneath. Ever since, I have been fossicking around for ways to incorporate good greens and beans in foods the kids will eat without fuss.
Hello delicious veggie burger!
Are you over fish and chips on Fridays as much as we are? Then mix it up a bit with these super healthy, delicious, goodness filled veggie burgers, adapted from taste.com.

CURRY VEGGIE BURGERS

1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 zucchini, grated
1 small carrot, grated
3 stalks silver-beet, white removed, leaves chopped finely
3 slices wholemeal bread, crusts removed, shredded
200g canned chickpeas, drained
1 heaped tbsp mild curry paste (we used Tikka Masala paste)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. coriander
1 cup wholemeal breadcrumbs
oil for frying

Fry the onion for five minutes on a low heat until softened. Add the garlic, silverbeet zucchini and carrot and cook for 3 minutes until wilted and softened. Drain off any liquid that is left in the pan.
Place chickpeas and shredded bread in a food processor and pulse to combine and break down the contents. Add the vegetables and curry paste, egg yolk and coriander. Process until well combined.
Form the mixture into rough patties, coating each side in breadcrumbs. Lay on a tray and refrigerate for 10 minutes before frying until golden brown.

Winter Warmers--Zucchini Soup

It sometimes amazes me what people will eat. Down the road there's a place called Chompers which specialises in fish and chips and burgers. Now remember when Krispy Kreme Donuts first came to Australia? People camped out overnight just to be the first to line up for those donuts. Over time, the stores have increased and I believe the faze is generally over. But at this particular store down the road, I viewed the most hideous looking burger. It was a Krispy Kreme Donut burger, featuring cheese, bacon and lettuce, the works.

Ewww! I wonder how popular they are? I am sure they appeal to some but the thought makes me want to roll over and die, very prematurely. Dear Lord, take those burgers away!

It sounds like a pregnant woman's midnight craving session gone wild. Even I'm not that crazy!

What has your strangest craving been? What's your most detested food? Well, I havnt had so many unusual cravings, but I sure have list of detested foods. From when I was a kid, of course. I have long developed my tastebuds to appreciate them.

I'm sure they're on most kid's lists, but these used to make me retch at the table.

Silverbeet

Brussel Sprouts

Zucchini

Now my husband has never tasted brussel sprouts, to my horror. His mother is kind! But I am sure he didn't like the sound of me telling him I was making Zucchini Soup. The truth is, until I tasted this amazing stuff I probably would have had a little shudder run through me thinking of my childhood qualms. But this soup has become such a hit at our house. I must say, my inspiration comes from my friend and my old housemate who once made it for dinner. I don't remember her exact recipe but its along the lines of what follows.

I will never think of zucchini the same way again.

I am even willing to try adding zucchini to sweets...just watch me!

ZUCCHINI SOUP (serves 2-3 depending on desired consistency)

1 can evaporated milk (Carnation brand)

500g zucchini

½ packet dried French onion soup mix

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut up the zucchinis into rounds. Boil until they are soft, then drain and cool. Place zucchini in a blender, add half the evaporated milk and process. Add more evaporated milk until you get the desired thickness of the soup. Add the dried soup mix and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until very smooth and well combined. Reheat on stove and serve. Delicious with a dob of sour cream in the middle! 

NOTES: this recipe does not freeze well. Best eaten on the day it is made. The smaller the zucchinis, the better the flavour.

Quick, Tasty Tomato Soup

You probably know as well as I do that I'm mainly a sweets blogger. Savory is good too, and especially in Winter, but I find its often harder to get inspired when it comes to savories. But--I get the craving for those hearty soups and breads and such, when its chilly like this.
I cant help but share the recipes, and I know there are lots of mums and busy people out there that are ever looking for quick successful recipes for their beloveds. So occasionally you will stumble upon a few goodies you can use on a day to day basis like this one. Yes, ones that actually wont make your thighs expand!
When I think of dinner, I think economical, satisfying and quick. Of course it has to be appetizing, but those three things don't have to mean boring. I recently wrote a piece for another blog group about saving money on your grocery bills, as my friend and I used to spend $30 a week on our groceries, and I know some people would be interested in knowing how they can do the same. Mortgages, bills, fees, who doesn't have them these days? Anyway, its all about getting creative and thinking your meals through! I will post the guest entry when it is published for those who are interested. Meanwhile, here's a nice budget meal that's a belly warmer on nights like these. I paired it with some Mediterranean bread knots (featured in the last blog entry) and its was lovely!

QUICK, TASTY TOMATO SOUP

1 medium onion, finely chopped
800g diced tomatoes
1 litre chicken stock
cornflour to thicken
pinch of basil
salt to taste

Soften the onion in a large saucepan. Add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and reduce heat. Meanwhile place tomatoes in a food processes and blend until soup-like in consistency. Add the stock and onion mix and blend again until well combine. Return the soup to the saucepan, add basil. Season with salt as desired. To thicken the soup, add a few tablespoons of cornflour to some of the soup in a small bowl and stir until there is a smooth paste. Add to the soup and return to heat and stir.
Serve with a swirl of cream and some fresh basil or parsley if desired. Serves 4.

NOTES: You can use fresh tomatoes instead of canned if preferred. Heat with the onion until they break down and then place in the blender--heat the stock on its own. Some of the tinned tomato varieties has added herbs and garlic--this is also a nice addition to the flavour of your soup. You can add these ingredients on your own as desired if your canned tomatoes lack them.

A New Year's Feast

So, I've never celebrated New Years in a low key style, but there's a first for everything, and quite frankly, I think New Years celebrations to be a little over rated. We opted for a dinner party this year, with some of the young couples and it was fabulous!
Being a Friday, we went for seafood. Not everyone is a seafood fan, but you cant go wrong with a beautiful, buttery Salmon steak smeared in mushroom sauce on a bed of warm potato mash, baby spinach and roast capsicum. The meal is a favourite of mine to make and gets compliments every time, so if you're wanting to impress...you have the recipe! The best thing, besides the taste, is that this meal is super easy to make and looks gourmet. Cant go past it!

Hors D'oeuvres:

Photo courtesy of Marcela Saborido

Cucumber Wheels with Curried Tuna, Capsicum and Prawns


2 large cucumbers
2x 95g cans Thai Red Curry tuna
1/4 red capsicum
prawns (optional)

Scrape the fork vertically down the skin of the cucumbers until completely scored. Cut off the ends and cut the cucumber into 1cm discs. Scrape out a little of the centre of each with a teaspoon, making sure that there is still a base. Discard the removed seeds. Spoon curried tuna into the small wells and top with slithered capsicum and prawns if desired.



Main Course:

ATLANTIC SALMON STEAK WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE, MASH, BABY SPINACH AND ROASTED CAPSICUM

Atlantic salmon steak
Red capsicum, halved, deseeded
Mashed potato
Handful of mushrooms, chopped
Evaporated milk
Corn flour
Salt and pepper


Heat oil in pan on stove on high. Sear the salmon on each side for a few minutes until golden. Turn stove to low to cook the steak through, turning and checking occasionally.
Meanwhile, halve the capsicum, deseed and set under the grill on high. Remove when browned, and repeat for the other side.
Cut desired amount of mushrooms into small pieces and begin to brown in a small saucepan. While browning, place 1/5 cup evaporated milk in a small bowl and mix a little corn flour into it. When well combined, add to the mushrooms, with more evaporated milk until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Bring to the boil and remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange baby spinach in the middle of plate. Lay the roast capsicum on top of the spinach and scoop prepared potato mash inside. Lay salmon steak on top of the mash and pour hot mushroom sauce over the steak.


NOTE: this recipe serves one. Increase ingredients to suit.

Dessert:

MERINGUE RAVE SWAN

2 Egg whites
1/2 cup caster sugar
3oz flaked almonds, lightly toasted
100ml cream
1/4 cup strawberries

Preheat oven to 150C.
Beat the egg whites on the highest setting until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add the sugar, beating well in between, until sugar dissolves,  and the mixture is thick, smooth and glossy.
Draw 12 tear shapes onto two sheets of baking paper to use as guides for the swan's bodies. Pipe meringue mixture onto these sheets to fill in the shapes, making the meringue thicker at the widest part of the tear. Insert the tips of almonds at a slight angle over the tops of these tear shapes to resemble feathers. Bake for one hour, alternating the trays at the end of the first half hour. Cool with the oven door slightly ajar.

With the remaining meringue, pipe S shapes onto another lined baking tray. Pipe a few extra in case of breakage. Bake in the oven until golden, and cool with the door ajar.

Beat the cream until thick. Crush the strawberries and add, stirring through the cream.
Just before serving, wedge two teardrops together with cream to assemble the body and insert the S shape to form the swan's head.

NOTES: do not assemble swan and then store in the refrigerator, as the meringue will soften and the swan will not stand.

 After dinner Nibbles:

CUSTARD SHORTBREAD TARTS

Shortbread:

125g butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup pure icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cornflour

Using an electric beater, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flours, and stir until well combined. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll with a rolling pin and press our 20 circles. Place each in the bases of a  muffin tin, taking care to centre the dough so that each forms a pastry case. Bake for 25-30 minutes  until golden. Cool.

Custard:

2 cups milk
4 large egg yolks
6 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. cornflour
40g butter, at room temperature

Place milk in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, combine yolks, sugar and cornflour and whisk over a low heat. When the milk has boiled, add a few tablespoons into the yolk mixture and whisk. Gradually add the remaining milk and whisk vigorously on a medium heat. Custard will thicken. Continue to whisk until boils, and remove from heat. Scrape into a small bowl and sit in a tray of ice, to cease the cooking process. When cooler, add the butter in 3-4 installments, stirring until combined. Add essence, mix and refrigerate. Stores for 2-3 days.

Pipe custard into shortbread cases and drizzle with melted chocolate. De-lish!