recipe: Quick Dahl

Easy easy recipe, very warming on a cold night, and quite quick! Plus, you can use staples on your pantry - I had them because I love spices and uncommon pantry items...- and wrap dinner in no time!

Serves 2:

1 onion finely diced, 2 tsp grated ginger, 2 garlic cloves crushed, 1 tomato diced, 3/4 cup red lentils, 3 tsp olive oil, 1/4 cup curry leaves, 2 cups water, 1 tbsp curry powder, salt and pepper to season

1. Heat oil in a sauce pan. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook until soft;

2. Add curry powder and stir to combine.
3. Add lentils, curry leaves, tomato and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are cooked. (about twenty minutes). Check every 5 minutes or so, and add more water if necessary.
4. Season with salt and pepper and serve with greek yoghurt.

recipe: Capsicum soup with chickpea dukplings

This soup is very simple, and the chickpea dumplings...well, I just had to try them when I found the recipe...they weren't AMAZING, but they went quite well with the soup and are a great substitute for bread.

Serves 4: 2 red capsicums diced, 1x 400g can diced tomatoes, 1 brown onion finely diced, 2 garlic cloves crushed, 2 tsp olive oil, 3/4 cup chickpea flour, 3/4 cup self raising flour, 1 cup Greek yoghurt, 1 egg, 1 tsp cumin, lemon juice, salt and pepper

1. In a bowl, mix chickpea flour, self-raising flour, yoghurt, egg and cumin. Mix well to form a dough, season with salt and pepper - and maybe a bit of lemon juice - and stand for at least 15 minutes;
2. Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan, add onion and garlic and cook until soft;
3. Add chopped capsicum and cook for about 10- 15 minutes;
4. Add chopped tomatoes, 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes, season with salt and pepper and blend until you have a smooth soup. Add more water if necessary,;
5. In another sauce pan boil some water. With 2 spoons, form 12 dumplings and add them to boiling water. When they float to the surface, remove and add to capsicum soup;
6. Finally add chopped parsley, and divide among individual bowls.

Hope you like it!

recipe: Stuffed Tomatoes with Baked Zuchinni

This dish looks a bit difficult and has a tiny wow factor, but its actually quite easy, you just need a bit of patience to hollow those tomatoes.

Serving 4:
8 large tomatoes, 1 onion finely chopped, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/4 cup fresh mint, 1x 400g canned chickpeas drained and rinsed, 2 zucchinis chopped coarsely, 1/4 cup flaked almonds, 1/4 cup currants, 3/4 cup basmati rice, 3 tsp olive oil, salt/pepper, balsamic vinegar and extra olive oil

1. Pre Heat the oven to 180C.
2. Cup tops of tomatoes, reserve and remove inner flesh. Chop finely. Place hollowed tomatoes in a baking tray lined with foil;
3. Cook rice in boiling salted water, drain and reserve;
4. Heat oil in a sauce pan, add onion and cook until soft. Add spices, cook until fragrant and chopped tomatoes. Add rice and stir to combine;
5. Add chickpeas, chopped mint. almonds and currants. Season with salt and pepper;
6. Fill the tomatoes with rice mixture and cover with tomato tops; Add the chopped zucchini to the baking tray, season with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt;
7. Bake for about half an hour and serve.

- I couldn't use all the rice mixture - just save it to accompany another dish.

week 21

This week will be a bit shorter. Easter is coming and with that short holidays...so, cooking will end on Wednesday night ( I think...).
Enjoy your Easter:

Sunday:
_dinner: Stuffed Tomatoes with Baked Zucchini

Monday:
_lunch: Stuffed Tomatoes with Baked Zucchini
_dinner: Capsicum Soup with Chickpea Dumplings

Tuesday:
_lunch: Another Chicken Pie
_dinner: Capsicum Soup with Chickpea Dumplings

Wednesday:
_lunch: Another Chicken Pie
_dinner: Quick Dahl

Thursday:
_lunch: Another Chicken Pie

recipe: Prawn & Coconut Omelette

This recipe is quite easy...except the omelette...I cannot seem to get the hang of cooking a perfect flawless omelette...so...try it anyway, but cook the eggs your way...the best you can.

Serves 4:
About 15 prawns, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 tsp turmeric, 6 eggs, 1 spring onion finely chopped, 2 tsp olive oil, 1 shallot thinly sliced, 1 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp raw sugar, 2 1/2 cups bean sprouts, 1/3 cup chopped coriander, 1/4 cup chopped basil, 1/4 cup shopped mint

1. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan or wok. Add shallots and cook for a couple of minutes until soft.
2. Add prawns, cook for another 3 minutes until pink, add hoisin and fish sauce, bean sprouts and remove from heat. Correct seasoning;
3. Mix eggs, coconut milk, spring onion and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, divide mixture and make 4 omelettes;
4. Divide omelettes amongst plates and spoon prawn mixture on half of it Top the mixture with the chopped basil, mint and coriander, close the omelette over it and serve;

Easy!

recipe: Rice & Gremolata Soup

I had promised this recipe a while ago when I didn't have time to post it, so here it goes.

Serves 4: 2/3 cup basmati rice, 1 silverbeet thinly sliced, 1 fennel bulb chopped, 1 onion chopped, 2 tsp olive oil, about 2 L water, 2 garlic cloves crushed, 1 tbsp lemon rind, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp lime rind, 2 tbsp lime juice, 3 tbsp chopped basil, 3 tbsp chopped parsley, salt and pepper, extra olive oil to drizzle

1. For the gremolata: Mix chopped basil, parsley, lemon and lime rind, lemon and lime juice and garlic in a bowl. Mix well, season and reserve;
2. In a large sauce pan heat oil, add onion, fennel and cook until soft;
3. Add rice, , water and simmer covered for about 10 minutes;
4. Add silverbeet, (add more water if necessary), cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. When the silverbeet and rice are thoroughly cooked, add the gremolata, correct seasoning and serve.

I topped it with extra olive oil and some fried shallots from the Asian grocery!

recipe: Carrot & Orange Soup

This recipe is a bit unusual, but if you are looking for a makeover on a normal carrot soup, try it. Besides it's really, really healthy and low fat!

Serves 4: 1Kg carrots peeled & chopped, 1 onion chopped, 2 tsp olive oil, 1 orange, 1 vegetable stock cube, 1.5L water, chopped parsley, salt and pepper to season and nice garlic bread to serve

1. Heat oil in a large sauce pan. Add onion and cook until soft;
2. Add carrots, stock cube, water and 2 orange peels. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until carrots are soft;
3. Remove orange peel and blend the soup until you have a puree - you might need to add more water if necessary.
4. Add the juice of the orange, chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper and serve.

PS - Thanks to my lovely 'elf' helper for reminding me to include the JUICE of the orange in the recipe...