Saturday, May 23, 2009

Hummus soup

Hello everyone, I was lucky enough earlier this week to get along to the opening night address of the Sydney Writers Festival www.swf.org.au. It was given by a Nigerian woman called Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She spoke so beautifully about how she wrote as a child in the style of the English story books she read (complete with lashings of ginger beer), even though this reflected a world completely different to what was around her. Over time, as she grew up, she encountered people who had one view about Nigeria and its people (which was all negative), and how through her writing she has worked to portray the many different stories there are about Nigeria. She was completely captivating.

From a slightly different part of the world comes inspiration for this soup. The recipe is from the book Faking It, by Valli Little, one of my favourite food writers, and it's an outstanding book. There are so many different, inspirational recipes in it and as the name of the book implies, they don't involve tricky techniques or hard to find ingredients. I made a big batch of this soup to put in the freezer so that I could take it to work for lunches and I was very sad when it was all gone. If you can get your hands on some labne, the thick Middle Eastern yoghurt, it would taste great swirled into the soup just before serving.

Have a lovely week. Love from Jane xx

Hummus soup

Serves four

What you need:
  • 1 litre chicken stock (or vegetable if you want to keep the soup vegetarian friendly)
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped into a few pieces (it will all be blended later)
  • Grated zest and juice of a lemon, plus wedges to serve
  • 800g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
  • Natural yoghurt (or Greek, or labne), to drizzle
  • Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
  • 2 tablespoons dukkah, to serve
  • Flatbread, to serve

What you do:
  1. Place the stock in a saucepan with the garlic, lemon zest and chickpeas.
  2. Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for five minutes. Cool slightly.
  4. Add the mint, parsley and lemon juice and puree in a blender until smooth.
  5. When you are ready to serve, season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and then reheat over a low heat.
  6. Ladle the soup into bowls, then drizzle with the yoghurt and olive oil.
  7. Serve with dukkah for sprinkling on the soup, lemon wedges and flat bread.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Lentil and pumpkin salad

Hello everyone, I was at a friend's fortieth on Friday night and they hired my friend Anna who is a caterer to do the food. It was gorgeous! She did such a great job, it was all home cooked food presented beautifully. We started with a heap of finger food while everyone was standing around having a drink. There were all sorts of choices, and I am still tossing up as favourite the huge, lovely and sweet peeled prawns, or the Moroccan lamb mince triangles. Then there was a buffet for the main course that included all sorts of salads, meat and vegetable dishes. Then to top it off, Anna baked a really moist, fudgy chocolate cake (decorated with forty candles) and served it with creamy raspberry icecream. It was all so good and I was so happy that everyone loved the food. Definitely my caterer of choice!

Last night I cooked this lovely salad to go with my dinner and thankfully had the foresight (and so much pumpkin) to make enough for Monday's lunch as well. It comes from my Marie Claire Comfort cook book from which I have made quite a few good things. I hope you like it too, it's a great one for winter.

Have a happy week. Love from Jane xx

Lentil and pumpkin salad

Serves four or six as a side dish

What you need:
  • 1 kg jap or kent pumpkin, peeled and chopped into quite small pieces so they roast up all nice and crispy
  • 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced into half moons
  • 2 tablespoons light olive oil
  • 120g puy lentils or tiny blue lentils (I don't think you can easily find puy lentils any more, but I found some Australian blue lentils at my local health food store)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspooon whole grain mustard
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 handful flat leaf parsley, chopped roughly
  • 50g wild rocket leaves
  • 100g goats cheese

What you do
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  2. Place the pumpkin pieces into a baking tray, scatter with the sliced onion and toss with the light olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
  3. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the pumpkin is looking crispy.
  4. Meanwhile, place the lentils in a saucepan with the half teaspoon of salt and 2 cups of water.
  5. Bring the lentils to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Keep an eye on them and top up the water if needed.
  6. When cooked, drain the lentils of any excess water, then stir in the mustard, vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and parsley.
  7. When you are ready to serve, arrange the rocket on a serving plate, top with the pumpkin and onion, then spoon over the lentils.
  8. Crumble the goats cheese over the top and serve.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Chicken and vegetable pot pie

Hello everyone, we had planned a picnic today to celebrate Mothers Day. A day out in the fresh air and sunshine, under a beautiful blue autumn sky...just like yesterday in Sydney! But today it rained. In fact it was pouring down this morning so we ended up bringing all our picnic food to my sister's home and having a more traditional lunch at the table. We ate well, though, with the hostess outdoing everyone with individual chicken and potato pies for the kids, a divine chicken and tarragon pie for the adults and a tomato, basil and prosciutto quiche as well! We did eat quite sumptuously.

Funnily enough I had decided to add this recipe for a chicken pie to the blog this week. It's certainly much more thrown together than my sister's masterpiece, and despite all the bad memories of '70s food that the name might bring to mind, it really is very yummy. You can add whatever vegetables you have to hand, and it's made with a BBQ chicken, so quick and easy as well! It comes from the ever inspirational "3 Ways With..." book.

Have a happy week. Love from Jane xx

Chicken and vegetable pot pie

Easily serves six

  1. Have your oven hot and ready at 220C.
  2. Heat 60g butter in a frying pan and when it is sizzling, add 1 chopped carrot and 2 chopped stalks of celery and stir around for a few minutes.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons plain flour and cook for 2 minutes - it should thickly coat the vegetables, but don't let the flour burn.
  4. Add the chopped meat from half a BBQ chicken, 80g peas (or corn) and a handful of flat leaf parsley. (You could also add some chopped capsicum if you have it handy).
  5. Stir the vegetables for a minute then add 500ml chicken stock and 250ml thin cream.
  6. Season well and slowly bring the mix to the boil, stirring constantly, until it's slightly thickened.
  7. Spoon the mixture into a pie dish and top with either some puff pastry, trimmed to fit the dish, or a layer of potato mash.
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry/potato is golden.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Pecan slice

Hello everyone, there's nothing I like better than a good old-fashioned slice, and as I had about five different varieties of nuts in my fridge last weekend I thought it was a good excuse to bake something for afternoon tea in the office. I made this yummy pecan slice, but did half and half pecans and almonds as that is what I had. The almonds were particularly fantastic - I had bought them fresh from Oriental and Continental Foods in Artarmon. This place is well worth exploring when you have the time. I went in there one day for some preserved lemons and came out twenty minutes later with a box full of stuff, and only paid $20.00! There really is no comparison between fresh nuts and packet nuts, so it's well worth making the trip. They don't supply bags though so do make sure you take your own and expect to buy more than is written on your shopping list!

Anyway, the slice went down well with my office friends. I hope you like it too.

Have a happy week. Love from Jane xx

Pecan slice

What you need:
  • 1 1/2 cups plain flour
  • 1/2 cup icing sugar
  • 150g butter, softened

Topping
  • 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup (from a health food store; use light if that is all you can find)
  • 2 tablespoons thickened cream
  • 1/3 cup soft brown sugar
  • 75g butter, melted
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups pecans
  • Dark chocolate shavings to decorate (optional)

What you do:
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  2. Line a shallow baking tin (18 x 27 cm) with baking paper.
  3. Combine the flour, icing sugar and butter in a food processor. Using the pulse action, process for one minute until the mixture comes together and forms a ball.
  4. Press the pastry into the tin (you will really have to push and poke it out to the sides and corners but don't worry, there is enough).
  5. Bake the pastry for 15 minutes, until just golden. Cool completely in the tin.
  6. To make the topping, combine the syrup, cream, sugar, butter and eggs in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
  7. Add the pecans and stir to combine.
  8. Pour the topping onto the cooled pastry and bake for another 25 minutes, until set. Cool completely in the tin.
  9. Lift the slice out of the tin and cut into squares using a sharp knife.
  10. Decorate with the chocolate shavings if desired.